Consecutive two-run singles from Ty Hunt and Eston Glover served as the catalyst for a surging University Heights Academy baseball team Tuesday, as the Blazers went on to hammer Hopkins County Central 14-3. UHA, which has now won four straight games, has outscored its opponents 55-19 during the current stretch.
Hunt, who finished the road game 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, was the winning pitcher of record. The sophomore allowed just four hits and two earned runs in the complete-game victory. Hunt (2-1) also fanned four Storm batters.
Glover, who brought in the contest’s first run with an RBI single in the first inning, also went 2-for-4 at the dish and racked up three RBIs. His sharp single to center plated Seth Hancock to give Heights a 1-0 lead in the first inning. In the second inning, Glover followed Hunt’s two-run knock with one of his own, giving the Blazers a 5-1 advantage.
Host Hopkins Central had two straight batters reach base to open the bottom of the fifth inning, and pulled within 7-3 of UHA on Loren McKinney’s RBI ground out, but Hunt struck out Truman Ballard to get out relatively unscathed.
During the final two innings, it was University Heights junior John DeArmond who took over offensively and put the game away. DeArmond, who came into the night with four RBIs in 24 at-bats this season, delivered a two-run single in the sixth and a two-run double in the seventh to put Hopkins Central away for good. Like Hunt and Glover, DeArmond went 2-for-4 to go along with his four RBIs and run scored.
UHA got hits from eight of its nine players and scored runs in five of the seven innings. Luke Welch (three runs scored, stolen base), Nic Luckey (two hits, run, RBI) and Ryan Luckey (two walks, run) also turned in solid performances in Mortons Gap.
The Storm (3-16), who committed five errors in the loss, didn’t have a single player with more than one hit. Chase Brasher and Logan Scarbrough each had one hit and one run each to lead their team. Brasher (0-2) gave up eight hits and 10 runs (eight earned) to earn the loss on the mound.
Heights (9-14) continues road play May 13 against Carlisle County. The Blazers are scheduled to play 12 games over the next 16 games.