Hawks Baseball Gets Their First Taste of Spring Weather, Fall in Va.

BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The Hilbert College baseball team stepped onto real green grass for the first time and got their first taste of live action play this spring.

The Hawks found themselves in a big hole at the start of the game but finished strong before falling 15-8 in a 9-inning game in Virginia to Bridgewater College at the start of their Spring Break training week down in Florida.

The Eagles took a 6-run lead by the top of the second inning and stretched their hold in five of their final six innings at bat.

Hilbert put together three scoring innings with their most productive work occurring at the top of the 7th.

Benjamin Heilig opened his rookie career at Hilbert going 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and one run scored.
Seven different Hawks scored runs today as Austin O'Shei (2 RBI) and Tristan Aldinger connected for Hilbert's only multi-bag hits.

Derek Switzer took the loss giving up six runs off seven hits over the first two innings of work.  Hilbert's staff stuck the Eagles out nine times. 

Aldinger doubled in the second inning and after Christopher Karam took a base-on-balls walk to first, they both moved around the bags off a wild pitch.  James DiSanti  earned an RBI ground out and Heilig's single to centerfield scored Karam.

Heilig earned another RBI when his single up the middle sent DiSanti home in the 4th.

Then, after two scoreless innings, the Hawks manufactured three runs in the 7th against the Eagles' third pitcher of the day.  O'Shei earned a 2 RBI triple to left, scoring Heilig and DiNizo and he made it home thanks to Griffith DeMayo's RBI.

Hilbert was on the offense again at the top of the 9th.  With only one out, DeMayo, who reached on a fielder's choice, advanced home off a base-on-balls series.  With runners at the corners, Bridgewater then loaded the bags serving up a scoring opportunity for Shaun Wright.  Wright earned an RBI ground out to third but then one pitch later the game was over.

Hilbert (0-1) continues their bus trip south tonight.  The Hawks are headed to Winterhaven, Fla to play  four games in the Russ Matt Invitational before they head back north for back-to-back games in eastern Pa.  

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