ONTARIO — Brookwood’s Ryan Flock almost single-handedly beat Hillsboro in the opener of last Thursday SBC doubleheader.
The senior pitcher slugged two home runs, drove in three runs, stole two bases and struck out 11 Hillsboro batters in a complete game 6–5 victory.
Despite Flock’s one-man show the Tigers thought they had the game tied in the seventh, but a Brookwood appeal at home plate negated the run.
Brookwood held on for the win and a few hours later completed the sweep with a three-run rally in the top of the seventh inning to steal game two 10–8.
After giving up a two-run home run to Flock, in the first inning of the opener Hillsboro starting pitcher, Brandon Stanek settled in allowing Hillsboro hang around and eventually take a 4–3 lead in the top of the fifth.
But the brief lead was given back, however, when the Tigers could not execute on defense allowing the Falcons to score three runs in the bottom of the fifth playing small ball.
Senior catcher Jake Stockwell went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead Hillsboro in the game one loss.
Stanek went 2-for-3 at the place and did not factor in the decision.
Freshman Tommy Crandall (0–1) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits and two walks, without recording an out in the fifth inning.
Defense — or lack thereof — was the story again in game two as the Tigers yielded seven unearned runs in the two-run loss.
The game started off with an error and it set the tone for the night.
Tiger starter Tyler Crandall struck out five Falcons in just two innings of work, but gave up three runs because of shaky defense.
The Hillsboro offense came alive the second and third time through the order allowing for a pair of comeback innings.
The Tigers first took a 4–3 lead with a four-run fourth inning, but a run in the top of the fifth and three in the sixth gave Brookwood a 7–4 advantage.
Hillsboro once again struck for four runs in the sixth and again grabbed a one-run lead, 8–7.
Brookwood scored three unearned runs in the top of the seventh to regain the lead for a third time, and the Tigers stranded two runners in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Brookwood reliever Chuck Arnold earned the win allowing four runs, two earned, on four hits in four innings.
Junior Grant Jefferies (0–1) suffered the loss, allowing two unearned runs in 2/3 of an inning.
Sophomore Matt Stekel and junior Tyler Seeley each went 2-for-3 in the loss. Junior outfiedler Chucky Strait had a two-run double.
Monday night, Hillsboro was swept by visiting Cashton 12–2 and 4–2.
The Eagles scored six runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back.
“We couldn’t get an out in the first inning on the mound or in the field,” said Hillsboro head coach Bob Bothe. “We had an opportunity to limit the damage and instead threw the ball around on a double steal and botched a routine double play. We simply couldn’t catch up to a team of Cashton’s caliber.”
The Hillsboro bright spot was freshman Max Stockwell, who pitched five effective innings of relief, yielding only one earned run while walking one and striking out three.
In the nightcap Jefferies pitching 3 1/3 innings of no-hit ball before yielding a run scoring triple to J. Jeffry in the fourth.
Cashton scored in the second on an error and again in the fourth on an error.
Jefferies led off the Hillsboro sixth with a double and advanced to third on Joey Helgerson’s single. Helgerson was caught stealing second, but Jefferies scored on the play.
Later in the inning Stanek walked, stole second, advanced to third on Strait’s groundout, and scored on Stockwell’s line drive single to left-center.
“With the exception of the two errors, we played very competitively against the returning Player of the Year (Caleb Fernholz),” added Bothe.
Hillsboro (2–4, 2–4 SBC) returns to action today at Royall. The Tigers will participate in the La Farge Tournament on Saturday before returning home Monday for an SBC doubleheader against Bangor.