Legion Blues take two

Baseball

By BILL HARRIS, Journal Sports Writer
MARQUETTE — The Marquette Blues took advantage of good defensive play in the field, as well as the lack of depth in Hancock Post 186’s bench, and played to back to back wins in a double-header Saturday at Haley Memorial Field.


Marquette won the first game 6-3, and took the second 11-4.


Blues pitcher Adam Swenor got the win in the first game, but it was Alex Lucas who drew attention on the mound for Marquette (8-1). Lucas entered the game twice during the doubleheader as a reliever, and struck out seven of the eight batters he faced in the 2 2/3 innings that he threw for the Blues.


“Alex looks good for the team, and he’s a real good pitcher right now,” Blues coach Bob Masuga said. “He’s got everything going for him, and we’re sure looking forward to a good future for him.”


To go along with the seven strikeouts, Lucas allowed no hits, no runs, and no walks.


“We played solid defensively, and Swenor pitched a really great (first) game,” Lucas said. “There wasn’t a lot of hitting for either team, but we tried to just put the ball in play. We did get some good base running and had a good defensive game, though.”


Swenor pitched through five innings, throwing for five strikeouts, and only allowed three runs on three hits and three walks.


Missing four of its starters, and having only nine players at the game, Hancock was forced to play the two games with only two pitchers, one in each game, who had to go the distance, and were light on the hitting side of the ball.


“Four of our starters today are junior players from last year who never played legion ball, and they looked pretty scared at the plate,” Hancock Post 186 manager Jerry Heikkinen said. “We only have nine players, and four of those haven’t seen pitching like this.”


Hancock’s Matt Heikkinen pitched for the loss in the first game, going the distance for three strikeouts, while allowing six runs on seven hits and three walks.


“We’re coming around, and I’m happy with the team, though I knew we were going to be hurting today,” Jerry Heikkinen said.


Blake Heitala led Hancock’s offense, knocking in a run with a base hit in the third inning.


For Marquette, Isaac Underwood pounded home two runners with a hard line drive single in the third, then scored himself after stealing both second and third base.