Urbana 15, Northwestern 6
The Urbana Hillclimbers stayed unbeaten, improving to 3-0 after pulling away late for a 15-6 win over Northwestern.
Urbana got on the board in the first inning thanks to a Warrior error, but broke the game open in the fourth with a seven-run explosion. Carter Houseman’s one-out double set up multiple scoring chances, and a series of fielder’s choice plays helped bring in runs without recording outs. With two outs and a runner on third, Kevin Endres delivered an RBI single, Tate Lantz followed with a double, and BJ Potter capped the inning with a three-run homer to left to make it 8-0.
Northwestern answered in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out rally. A bases-loaded walk started the scoring, followed by an RBI single, a hit-by-pitch, and a bases-clearing double to cut the deficit to 8-6.
The Hillclimbers responded in the final two innings, scoring seven more runs. Endres hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and Potter added his second home run of the game, another two-run shot, as Urbana pulled away for good.
Grady Lantz was strong on the mound, allowing just one hit and striking out six over four innings. At the plate, Potter went 3-for-5 with five RBIs, while Endres finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Urbana will travel to Madison Plains on Saturday.
Indian Lake 9, Kenton Ridge 4
The Indian Lake Lakers picked up their first win of the season with a 9-4 victory over Kenton Ridge in CBC play.
The Lakers struck early, scoring twice in the first inning after Nixon Lillard and Cooper Hall reached base and later came around to score on a pickoff error that rolled into center field. Kenton Ridge answered with a triple and double to make it 2-1, and later loaded the bases, but pitcher Jackson Snipes escaped by striking out the next two batters.
Indian Lake extended its lead in the second inning, beginning with a leadoff single from Brady Golliday and an RBI double from Lane Kipker. Lillard later added a two-run double, and RBI hits from Chance Persinger and Snipes pushed the lead to 7-1.
Kenton Ridge again threatened with two-out RBI hits and loaded the bases, but Snipes worked out of another jam to preserve the four-run lead. After a quiet stretch of pitching on both sides, the Cougars added a solo homer in the fifth to make it 7-4.
The Lakers added two insurance runs in the seventh, and Golliday closed out the game on the mound to secure the win.
Lillard led the offense, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Golliday also recorded two hits. On the mound, Golliday and Grant Wickline combined to allow just one run on two hits over the final three innings.
Indian Lake moves to 1-2 and will face Anna on Saturday.
Riverside 15, Fairlawn 6
The Riverside Pirates remained unbeaten, improving to 4-0 with a 15-6 win over Fairlawn.
Riverside jumped out early with four runs in the first inning. Cooper Crouch and Syler Clark led off the rally with singles, and a misplayed ball by the Fairlawn infield allowed Camden Shoe to reach and both runners to score. Shoe later came home on a Tony Robinson RBI single, and another run scored on a wild pitch.
Both teams scored twice in the third inning, aided by defensive miscues, before Riverside added three more runs in the fourth—all with two outs. Shoe scored on a balk, Hayden McCully crossed the plate on an error after stealing third, and Colton Hurley added another run on a passed ball to make it 9-2.
Fairlawn responded with a four-run fourth inning of its own, highlighted by back-to-back two-RBI singles with two outs to cut the deficit to 9-6.
The Pirates pulled away in the fifth, scoring four runs before recording an out and adding two more later in the inning on a wild pitch and an RBI groundout from Crouch.
McCully was dominant in relief, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit while striking out seven to close out the win.
Crouch led the offense, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored, while Clark and Robinson each drove in two runs.
Riverside will take on Triad on Saturday.
