The Hinckley Knights hosted St. Francis on Wednesday night.
The Knights came into the game, maybe not desperate for a win, but certainly hungry. After their loss to the Princeton Panthers which took them out of first place in the division, the Knights lost three more games, including three league games.
So this game was of course important for them to get back on track. And early on it looked promising. Ben Sickler started on the mound and made quick work of the first four innings. Cale Haugen made a big impact on the game from his leadoff spot, hitting two solo shots in his first two plate appearances. This got them out to a 3-0 lead. But after the 4th inning it seemed like the offense was stuck in the mud, after getting of to the hot start they did. But between the 5th and 6th innings they added 6 more unanswered runs to their lead. Helping extend that lead was Cory Schmidt, who added 3 more RBI's to his team lead, and Isaiah Hasz who added two RBI's himself. With a 9-0 lead going into the bottom of the 7th it appeared it would be an early exit, needing only one more run to induce the 10 run rule. But that was not the case, as a change at pitcher for the Silverbacks proved to be the necessary move to keep the Knights lead at only 9. The Knights would also make a change on the mound, as Bryce Erickson came in for Sickler. In two innings of work Erickson gave up two hits walked two and struck out three to keep the shutout intact. The Knights would win 9-0 ending their 4 game losing skid.
With the win and the Panthers loss, the Knights are firmly in 2nd place in the division, 1.5 games behind Princeton.
The Knights will have the rest of the week off, before the final stretch of the regular season next week. A week in which they will play 5 games in 7 days, with 4 of the games against league opponents.
Pitching:
Ben Sickler- 7 innings, 2 hits, 2 walks, 8 SO's
Bryce Erickson- 2 innings, 2 hits, 2 walks, 3 SO's
Player of the Game:
Cale Haugen 3-3 2 HR's and 2 RBI's
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