BELLVILLE — Hillsdale manager Jason Snow’s chief concern coming into the season was whether his young and untested pitching staff would throw enough strikes to keep the Falcons in games.
If Friday’s performance was any indication, Snow has nothing to worry about.
Starter Colby Helbert and reliever Mark Abel combined to scatter seven hits as the Falcons rallied for a 9-5 win over Clear Fork at American Legion Field.
A crafty senior right-hander, Helbert went the first three innings and threw 30 of his 44 pitches for strikes. He allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits while walking just one. Abel worked the final four innings, throwing 30 of 46 pitches for strikes. He walked two, struck out two and gave up two hits.
“We’re not overpowering like we were a couple of years ago, but our pitchers are throwing strikes and we’re making plays behind them,” Snow said. “Colby did a nice job and Abel came in and held them down.”
The Falcons (8-1) scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first, taking advantage of the first of four Clear Fork errors. Abel delivered a two-run single, plating Caden Fickes and Nick Kandel.
The Colts (2-5) tied it in the home half of the first on a run-scoring groundout by David Ballinger and a one-out double by Brock Talbott. Clear Fork then scored three in the second thanks to an RBI-single by Kaleb Hollar and a two-run single by Jared Scott to take a 5-2 lead.
The Falcons responded in the top of the third, tying it at 5-5. Abel singled in a run, while Jake Hoverstock drove in another with a bases-loaded walk and Reece Garn had a run-scoring groundout.
“When we score runs in an inning, the most important thing we can do is come out and put up a zero on defense and we’re not doing that,” Clear Fork skipper Joe Staab said. “We’ve got to be tougher and we’ve got to make the fundamental plays.
“It’s about grit. Are we willing to do the things necessary to win the game?”
The Falcons took the lead for good in the fourth on RBI singles by Fickes and Kandel and added a pair of important insurance runs in the rain-delayed seventh. Ty Williams belted an RBI-double to deep center and Hoverstock singled in the final run.
Ballinger started and worked the first four innings for the Colts, surrendering seven runs on eight hits. Only three of the runs were earned.
“We have a lot of guys who are competing at this level for the first time,” Staab said. “We’ve been kicking it around in the first seven games this year.
“The bottom line is we’ve got to find a way to rally together and win baseball games.”
Kandel had four hits for the Falcons, while Williams, Abel and leadoff hitter Ethan Goodwin had two hits apiece.
Hollar had two hits for the Colts.
