Heimericks leads Pintos to victory over St. Elizabeth

Hunter Heimericks did it all for California on Friday night against St. Elizabeth.

The senior had two of the team’s three hits, both of which went for extra bases. He also threw six innings, allowing no runs and fanning five to earn the win in the Pintos’ 3-0 victory over the Hornets.

“Last night (at the plate) I wasn’t watching the ball all the way in,” Heimericks said. “So I tried to do that today and I guess it worked for me. …

“I love being up there on the mound. You get the ball every play, and you get to give your defense a chance to make some plays.”

Against an undermanned St. Elizabeth squad that only fielded eight players, the big moments offensively for the Pintos happened every other inning.

After Heimericks smacked a leadoff double to start the second, Jackson Trachsel drove him in on the very next at-bat. In the fourth, it was Trachsel who scored the run as he came around on Jacob Wolken’s RBI double. Finally, in the sixth, Heimericks’s triple sparked an insurance run as pinch runner Kyle Hofstetter scored on the ensuing at-bat off a wild pitch to make it 3-0.

“Overall, I thought we did well,” said California head coach Matt Moulder. “This was a tough week. We had two long road trips earlier in the week, so the kids seemed a little tired and a little sluggish today and weren’t their sharpest.”

While California built its lead with runs in the bottom of the fourth and sixth, the top half of those innings was when the Pintos preserved the slim lead they had.

After errors put runners on second and third with one out in the fourth, Heimericks pitched out of the jam by getting a weak ground ball and a popout to keep what was a one-run lead at the time.

The Pintos (6-4) were in a similar situation in the sixth when two wild pitches again gave the Hornets two runners in scoring position with one out. However, a strikeout and flyout to deep left again allowed Heimericks to work his way out of the inning unscathed.

“Overall Hunter did well. He threw a lot of strikes and we made enough plays behind him to get it done,” Moulder said. “He showed some grit. He’s a pretty fierce competitor and he’s one of those kids that wants those challenges and wants the ball in those pressure times, and he rose to the occasion.”

Hard-luck loss

St. Elizabeth’s Alex Goeller turned in a performance that would’ve been worthy of a win on most days. In addition to allowing only three hits, the junior walked none in his six innings of work. Two of the three runs he surrendered were unearned.

Closing time

Pintos sophomore Cade Knipp retired all three hitters he faced in the seventh inning to earn the save Friday night. Coming on with a runner on first, the left-hander provided a new look to keep the Hornets hitters off-balance and preserve the shutout for Califonia.