The Harper College baseball team split its home opener with Kishwaukee College on Tuesday afternoon. The Hawks (2-3) lost game one 5-2 but bounced back in a big way with a 9-1 victory in game two.
The Kougars (8-6) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after a half inning, but Harper scored on a Nick Leone (Elmhurst, Ill. /York) bases loaded walk in the first to make it 3-1. Kishwaukee scored again in the second inning, but Harper’s Roy Pettingill (Mount Prospect, Ill. /St. Viator) had an RBI single in the third to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Both teams couldn’t scratch across a run for the next three innings until Kishwaukee added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning on a Jared Johnson RBI single. The Hawks went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
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Harper once again found itself in an early hole in game two, but the Hawks exploded for a six-run second inning to take control of the game. Pettingill, Tyler Crussen (Wheeler, Ind. /Wheeler), and Nick Leone (Elmhurst, Ill. /York) each had RBI singles in the inning. Harper scored twice more in the third inning on a Crussen RBI triple and a Chuck Terron (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek) RBI double.
Nate Paprota (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) (1-0) held the Kishwaukee offense in check for five innings, surrendering just an unearned run on three hits while striking out three batters. Chris Simon (La Grange, Ill./Marmion Academy) and Kevin Conrad (Twin Lakes, Wis./Wilmot) combined for two innings of scoreless relief to preserve the victory.
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Crussen (2-for-4, two RBIs), Terron (2-for-3, RBI), and Riley Halter (South Elgin, Ill. /South Elgin) (2-for-4, run scored) each produced two-hit efforts in the win.
The Hawks travel to Oglesby, Illinois on Saturday for a doubleheader at Illinois Valley Community College. First pitch for game one is set for noon, with game two to follow at 2:30 PM.
