Huntingdon players celebrate after the first of five home runs in Saturday's doubleheader against Greensboro. The Hawks won the first game 16-4 and took the second game 16-7. (Photo by Christopher Morgan).
Huntingdon players celebrate after the first of five home runs in Saturday's doubleheader against Greensboro. The Hawks won the first game 16-4 and took the second game 16-7. (Photo by Christopher Morgan).

Hawks explode for 32 runs in doubleheader with Greensboro

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon baseball team scored a season-high 16 runs in its first game Saturday and matched the total in Game 2 of a 16-4 and 16-7 doubleheader sweep of Greensboro.

Game 1 was shortened to eight innings by the USA South Athletic Conference's 12-run rule.

Huntingdon (8-3, 8-3 USA South) and Greensboro (5-6, 5-6 USA South) will wrap up the series on Sunday at 11 a.m.

Senior third baseman Jordan Freeman, junior right fielder Anthony Spivey and junior left fielder Alec Raley combined for 17 hits, 22 RBIs, three home runs and 13 runs scored in the two games. As a team, Huntingdon matched its season-high with 17 hits in Game 1 and finished with 15 hits in Game 2.

Freeman was 6-for-11 with nine RBIs, a two-run home run, four doubles and four runs in the doubleheader. Spivey was 5-for-11 with eight RBIs, a three-run homer, a two-run homer and four runs scored. Raley was 6-of-10 with five RBIs and five runs on the day.

Despite the impressive offensive numbers, Huntingdon trailed in both games. Greensboro took a 3-0 lead in the first game before the Hawks scored six runs in the fifth inning and four runs in the sixth to take control.

Freeman drove in the Hawks' first run of the game in the fifth inning and Spivey added a two-run single to tie the game. With two outs, the Hawks hit their first two home runs of the season in back-to-back plate appearances.

Sophomore first baseman Will Pharis hit a two-run homer to right field and junior designated hitter Jordan Criswell followed up with a solo homer to left field. Huntingdon, which had not hit a home run in its first nine games, hit five home runs on Saturday. Three of the home runs came during a span of eight batters in Game 1.

Pharis was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run in Game 1. Patrick Kucera scored three runs in the first game and Gunnar Peters, Mason Throneberry, J. Gardiner, Clark Berry and Landon Sessions each scored one run.

In Game 2, Huntingdon trailed 3-2 entering the seventh inning. The Hawks used a six-run seventh inning to take the lead and scored eight runs in the final two innings to put the game away.

Freeman, who drove in the Hawks' first two runs of the game, tied the game 3-3 with a RBI double in the seventh. Spivey followed up with a three-run homer in the seventh and Criswell and Throneberry scored the final two runs of the inning on a single and an error.

Freeman, Spivey and Raley combined for 11 RBIs in the final three innings. Spivey's two-run homer in the ninth inning capped the scoring.

Kucera finished the second game with three hits, three runs and a RBI. Throneberry scored twice and had a RBI, Sessions scored twice and Criswell and Berry each scored once in the second game.

Jackson Cruce (4-0) picked up the first win in 6 1/3 innings. In Game 2, Zack Watson (1-2) earned the win in 6 innings of work and Throneberry picked up his second save of the season.