Hawks Baseball Soars In Run-Rule Opening Day Victory Over Schreiner

MONTGOMERY, Ala.- Taking to Neal Posey Field for the first time in the 2026 season, Huntingdon Baseball put together an exemplary performance, lighting up the scoreboard in a 16-4 win over the Schreiner University Mountaineers. The bats were hot today, as six Hawks had at least two or more hits, with 8 crossing home plate en route to the season-opening rout. 

Things got rolling for the Hawks early, as starting pitcher Jacob McFarling forced three outs in as many batters to retire the side quickly. At the plate, the Hawks wasted no time establishing their lead, scoring three runs on two hits and an error, as Blayne McDaniel, Brodie Holcomb, and Sam Kelley each crossed home plate to set the early lead at 3-0. The Mountaineers answered with an RBI double in the following frame to cut into the lead 3-1, but a Ty Pruitt triple in the bottom of the inning scored Brent Cadenhead, reestablishing the three-run lead headed into the third inning, 4-1. 

Things began to break open in the third in a major way, as McFarling struck out two of the Mountaineers three batters in the top frame, generating momentum that the offense built on, as Huntingdon pieced together a five run frame on 6 hits and 1 error, as Sam Kelley, Jay Davidson, Jabez Sampson, Byron McLain, and Brent Cadenhead all scored to grow the advantage to 9-1 headed into the fourth. Schreiner followed with an RBI single in the fourth to put a slight dent in the lead, but McLain's RBI double that scored Sampson in the bottom frame brought the lead back to 8, 10-2. 

Schreiner, looking to muster a comeback in the later innings, put one over the fence in the top of the sixth, scoring on a two-run homer that brought the score to 10-4, but Huntingdon's offense continued to roll, scoring six runs in the bottom frame to bring the game to a close early. Davidson, Sampson, McLain, Cadenhead, Pruitt, and McDaniel each crossed home plate, as the Hawks 5 hit, 1 error frame brought the score to 16-4 in the emphatic season-opening win. 

On the mound

#13 Jacob McFarling captured his first victory on the year in the season-opener, pitching 4 innings while surrendering 4 hits and 2 runs and pitching 3 strikeouts. #19 MD Johnson closed things out, pitching the final three innings where he allowed 4 hits and two runs while throwing 4 strikeouts. 

The Hawks will return to action at Neal Posey Field in the Firehouse Classic tomorrow, February 7th as they square off with Berea. First pitch is set for 5:30 PM CT.