HOWARD — The Lemont Ducks kept pace with the leaders in the Centre County Baseball League after a double-header sweep of the Howard Hawks in Howard on Sunday, June 16.
The wins — one a regularly scheduled game and the other a makeup — lifted the Ducks to 7-2 for the season and just one game behind league-leading Blanchard and Spike Island.
In the 5-0 win in Game 1, Noah Aungst pitched a four-hit shutout without walking a batter and striking out three.
The Ducks scored single runs in the second and third innings and then opened up some breathing room with two more in the fifth.
Oakley Whitesel led the Ducks with two hits and two RBIs, while Tucker Triebold went 3-for-4. Sebastian Rhoades also added two hits.
Whitesel gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead with an RBI single in the third inning and then capped the scoring with another RBI hit in the seventh.
The Ducks collected 11 hits in all, with Rhoades hitting a double and Logan Hall a triple.
Dylan Womer was on the mound for Howard and he gave up three earned runs with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Alex Gavlock led Howard with two hits.
In Game 2, Howard struck first on an RBI fielder’s choice by Brayden Dubbs in the top of the second inning, but Lemont struck right back.
The Ducks went ahead on a two-run home run by Darian Hercane in the third inning, and then they added two more in the fifth on a two-run base hit by Gage Shell.
Howard made a play in the seventh to get back in the game after an RBI triple by Gavlock and a sacrifice fly by Gavin Burns.
Lemont reliever Ty Butler came in, however, and quelled the rally with three straight outs that ended the game with a 5-3 Lemont win.
Shell was the winning pitcher for Lemont after going six innings with six hits, three runs, three walks and two strikeouts.
For Howard, Cole Bernier went 3-for-3 and Gavlock, Burns and Dubbs each had an RBI.
Dan Cole was on the mound, and he threw six innings with four runs, a walk and two strikeouts.
The losses dropped Howard to 4-4 for the season, with games at Blanchard and at home with Spike Island coming up.
For Lemont, the schedule has games at Baseball U and at home with Spring Mills next week.
Other Scores:
Tuesday, June 11
Blanchard 14, Spring Mills 4
Howard 11, Spring Creek 2
Spike Island 12, Lemont 4
Wednesday, June 12
Lemont 9, Baseball U 5
Thursday, June 13
Lewistown 20, Spring Mills 10
Spike Island 8, Baseball U 7
Blanchard 12, Spring Creek 2
Howard 11, Milesburg 1
Schedule:
Thursday, June 20 — 6 p.m.
Howard at Blanchard
Lemont at Baseball U
Lewistown at Milesburg
Spike Island at Spring Creek
Sunday, June 23 — 2 p.m.
Spike Island at Howard
Blanchard at Lewistown
Milesburg at Spring Creek
Spring Mills at Lemont
