HAYWARD, Calif. - The boys continued play today in a twin-bill against the Pioneers to conclude the three-game series.
Starter
Hyunwoo Kim danced through some trouble in the bottom half of the first inning as he escaped a bases-loaded and nobody-out situation.
Kim punched out back-to-back Pioneer batters before inducing a harmless ground out to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.
However, the Pioneers jumped on the board in the second inning as a two-out walk kicked off a two-out rally that saw three straight hits produce three runs.
A leadoff single by
Dominic Folks, a hit-by-pitch to
Manolo Tafolla, and a bunt single by
Dylan Leek put ducks on the pond for the Red Hawks as they chased the Pioneers starter after two innings of work.
A bases-loaded walk to
Mario Catalan put Simpson on the board before a clutch two-strike single into right field by
Cayden Lee tied the game at three.
Simpson continued to pass the stick as they reloaded the bases as
Aden Munoz reached on an error followed by back-to-back bases-loaded walks to
Jaxon Hotta and Bo Valadao to push across the fourth and fifth runs of the inning.
Joel Calderin capped off the huge seven-run third inning with a two-run single into left field.
However, the Pioneers began to chip away as they plated one in the fourth and three runs in the fifth to make it an 8-7 ball game.
The Red Hawks added three insurance runs in the latter inning highlighted by a two-run seventh inning on a RBI single by Leek and a sacrifice fly by Lee.
The Pioneers plated three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to make it an 11-10 game as they trailed by one run heading into the ninth.
Eastbay put the tying run on second base before
Logan Boenker induced a game-ending groundout to seal the 11-10 victory.
Leek, Hotta, Calderin, and Folks led the Simpson bats with two hits each as they combined for four RBIs.
Geremy McCollough picked up the win as he fired 2.1 innings of shutout baseball in relief.
Game 2:
The Red Hawks looked to take the series behind right-hander
Gage Hoyle.
The Pioneers struck first as they plated one run in the first and second innings to take the early 2-0 lead.
Hoyle settled down and did not give up another run as he fired five innings of two-run baseball as he gave up just one earned run and struck out four Pioneers.
The Red Hawks rallied in the sixth inning as back-to-back infield singles by
Brayden Swenson and
Dylan Leek put early traffic aboard.
Simpson took advantage of a Pioneers error as they plated two runs to tie the ball game.
But the Pioneers answered back in the bottom half of the inning as they plated the go-ahead run to take the 3-2 lead.
The Red Hawks could not mount a comeback as they went down in order to end the game.
With the loss, Simpson ended its preseason play going 6-19 as they played some top schools and multiple DII's including a win against #2 in the nation Hope International.
The Red Hawks open conference play this weekend as they host Westcliff on Friday for a doubleheader starting at noon to kick off a four-game homestand.
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