Liberal, Kansas -- After having their season-opener suspended this past weekend, the Indian Hills Falcons battled for wins in two of their three games to begin the 2020 season. IHCC was behind late in a high-scoring contest with Carl Albert State on Friday when the game was called. It will be completed when the Falcons travel back to Poteau, Oklahoma next month for a regularly-scheduled three-game series.
From Oklahoma, Indian Hills journeyed into Kansas where they won twice in three games -- beating Rose State (OK) on Saturday, 10-8, before splitting a pair with Seward County, dropping a 9-8 decision before rebounding for a 12-8 victory.
Against Rose State, the Falcons won it with two runs in the top of the 8th inning. They had jumped out to a quick lead thanks to a six-run 1st inning. Rose State battled back to tie the score at 8-all, but IHCC pulled it out in the first extra inning. Indian Hills collected 10 hits, including three by Noel Perez and two by Cooper Huckabone. Billy Rivera, Jonathan Cruz, Pier-Olivier Boucher, Joshua Williams and Brady Nowicki each had one hit. Perez, Huckabone and Boucher scored twice and Williams knocked in three runs and Rivera two. The Falcons stole six bases, two of them by Boucher. They used five pitchers -- Charles Lefebvre started and was followed to the mound by Daniel Hargrave, Josue Mireles, Omar Vigil and Thomas Lopez, who got the win. Vigil, who pitched in 17 games for the Falcons last year as a freshman, struck out four in 1 2/3 innings while allowing only one hit and one run.
Indian Hills let a 6-0 lead get away in the first of two games with Seward County and the hosts came back to win it in the bottom of the 9th. IHCC outhit Seward, 13-8, with Perez and Ko Nakada each providing a three-hit game. Huckabone and Nakada both homered, Williams doubled and tripled and Rivera also had a triple. Perez scored twice, Nakada drove in three runs and Huckabone and Williams picked up two RBIs apiece. Lefty Douglas Rojas was the starter and threw four shutout innings before giving up a pair of runs in the 5th. He fanned six. Ryoya Yamashita and Josias Mogollon pitched in relief.
The Falcons rebounded to win Sunday's contest, 12-8, breaking a 4-4 deadlock with a six-run 7th inning, then adding two more runs in the 9th. Huckabone swung the big bat, going 2-for-3 with three runs, a homer and four RBIs. Nakada had two singles and a triple, and Perez and Alejandro Gonzalez had hits two each. Four different players -- Ren Tachioka, Rivera, Boucher and Nakada -- scored two runs, Gonzalez knocked in three and Perez and Nakada a pair each. Four Falcons pitched. Nathan Chasey opened and went five innings. Mireles followed with two innings of relief and picked up the victory. Maddux Hoaglund and Vigl finished with an inning each. Vigil was credited with a save as he struck out two in his lone inning.
Indian Hills goes to Missouri for six games this weekend. They'll play two games at State Fair CC in Sedalia on Friday and then will have doubleheaders against Crowder College in Neosho Saturday and Sunday.