PITCHERS SHINE AS HAWKS TAKE THREE IN KANSAS

DODGE CITY, Kan. – The Northeast Community College baseball team traveled to Dodge City, Kansas Saturday and Sunday for matchups with Luna Community College, Highlands Community College and Dodge City Community College. The Hawks took Game 1 by a final score of 17-1 over Luna and turned around to take Game 2 by a final score of 8-3 over Highland. On Sunday, Northeast topped Dodge City by a final score of 6-3 before falling to Highland by a final score of 9-8.

Northeast (5-7) had their highest-offensive output of the young season against Luna as Grayson Headrick (Littleton, Colo.) and Derek Woolwine (Boulder, Colo.) each contributed three RBIs for the Hawks while Ian Shaw (Ogallala, Neb.) hammered the first home run of his collegiate career. Aidan Brainard (Littleton, Colo.) went the distance for Northeast as the freshman tossed five innings, allowed one earned run and struck out eight different batters.

Rusty Wortman (Gretna, Neb.) blasted a homer in Game 2 and added two RBIs in three at-bats. Shaw also added two RBIs with a double and two singles. Pitchers on the mound held steady as Matthew Kitzman (Osseo, Minn.), Nick Vilims (Evergreen, Colo.) and Caleb Lanphear (Gretna, Neb.) all struck out three batters each to give the Hawks a perfect Saturday.

Northeast took on host Dodge City Sunday morning in Game 3 and had the power come alive on offense as both Carter Noakes (Danneborg, Neb.) and Kale Jensen (Central City, Neb.) sent homers out of the park. Nixon Snyder (Omaha, Neb.) added two RBIs while the pitching staff including Gabe Rodriguez (Thronton, Colo.), Nick Miszuk (Parker, Colo.) and Brice Wallar (Papillion, Neb.) combined to give up just five hits.

The trip for the Hawks concluded with a wild contest in the final showdown as two runs in the seventh and final frame for Northeast weren't quite enough to top Highland. Cade Grevengoed (West Des Moines, Iowa) tallied a home run while Vilims sat six different batters down on strikes in relief on the mound.

STAT SHEET GAME 1 AGAINST LUNA:

Grayson Headrick (Littleton, Colo.): 1-3, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB

Derek Woolwine (Boulder, Colo.): 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI

Aidan Brainard (Littleton, Colo.): 5 IP, 1 ER, 8 K

STAT SHEET GAME 2 AGAINST HIGHLAND:

Rusty Wortman (Gretna, Neb.): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI

Ian Shaw (Ogallala, Neb.): 3-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

Nick Vilims (Evergreen, Colo.): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 K

STAT SHEET GAME 3 AGAINST DODGE CITY:

Kale Jensen (Central City, Neb.): 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB

Carter Noakes (Dannebrog, Neb.): 1-2, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB

Gabe Rodriguez (Thornton, Colo.): 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 K

STAT SHEET GAME 4 AGAINST HIGHLAND:

Cade Grevengoed (West Des Moines, Iowa): 1-3, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Rusty Wortman (Gretna, Neb.): 1-1, RBI

Nick Vilims (Evergreen, Colo.): 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K

HEAR FROM THE HAWKS COACH:

Northeast Head Baseball Coach Marcus Clapp on the series as a whole:

"Nice to win three of the four games, but we still aren't doing things the Hawks way," Clapp said. "Not enough attention to detail. We have a high standard and expectations, and we need to understand that Northeast Baseball is bigger than ourselves!"

Clapp on the week ahead:

"We have two against McCook on Friday and we need to be ready to play!"

UP NEXT:

The Hawks will travel to McCook Community College for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. Friday in McCook, Nebraska.

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