Lefthander Dylan Hillabush threw three innings of shutout ball in the Hawks 7-6 come-from-behind win over Pembroke and tossed a three-hit shutout with 17 strikeouts to defeat Alexander 5-0 in a game played at Frontier Field.
The 17 strikeouts are the most in game for a Holley pitcher in at least 16 years.
Over a combined ten innings of work in two games, Hillabush allowed only three singles and one walk.
“The most strikeouts I’ve ever had; it’s awesome to play on this field and I couldn’t believe that it went like this,” the Niagara University bound senior said.
“I was nervous in the beginning, but I just kept pitching, kept pounding the zone and doing what I’ve always done. Curveball was good today, my cutter was what I got the ground balls on and just felt good tonight.”
The Hawks jumped out to a 1-0 first inning lead on an infield single by Samuel Lammes and an RBI double down the left field line by catcher Patrick Bowers.
They made it 2-0 in the second as Bailey Schubmehl stroked a one-out single to right and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A single to center by Nathan Towne sent him to third and he crossed the plate on an RBI sacrifice fly by Collin Papaj.
It became 4-0 in the fourth with two unearned runs. Andrews hit a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to right scoring Lammes and Bower who had earlier walked.
In the sixth, the Hawks added an insurance run. Papaj was hit by a pitch and went to second on an error with Lammes also reaching. Bower followed with an RBI single to left to make the final 5-0.
In the earlier game, Pembroke opened up a 6-0 lead scoring twice in the first inning, twice in the second and tacking on two unearned runs in the second. But, thanks to five innings of solid relief pitching by Ryan Andrews, the Hawks began their comeback when Papaj reached on an error, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. He scored on an RBI groundout by Lammes.
Lammes went to second on an error and third on a fielder’s choice before scoring on a throwing error on a steal of second by Hillabush, who walked. Pinch hitter Towne then stroked an RBI single to right to make it 6-3 Pembroke.
After Hillabush struck out the side in the top of the seventh on only ten pitches, the Hawks plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game.
The rally again began on an error with Schubmehl reaching. Pinch hitter Mike Passeral singled down the left field line and Papaj greeted the new Dragons pitcher with an infield single to load the bases.
Lammes knocked in the first run with a sacrifice fly with both runners advancing on an ill-advised throw home. Passeral scored on a wild pitch and Papaj came across on another sacrifice fly by Patrick Bower.
In extra innings, Pembroke got runners to second and third with two outs, but Hillabush struck out the final batter of the inning.
Holley had a glorious chance to win the game in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded and no outs, but a flyout to center became a triple play when the runner from second ran before the catch and it was ruled the runner from second left early on appeal.
But the Hawks finally won the game in the bottom of the ninth as Schubmehl, after being down in the count 0-2, worked a leadoff walk. He advanced to second on a dropped force and to third as Papaj was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Lammes then dropped down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt on the first pitch he saw with Schubmehl racing down the line with the winning run.
“We had our number two hitter up and he’s a good bunter so I figured with no outs, we could spend one,” Holley head coach Jason Cole said.
The wins mark the Hawks third and fourth of the season.
