HIGHLAND, Kan. – The No. 13 NIACC baseball team opened the season with a 19-2 seven-inning victory over Highland CC on Friday.
The Trojans, who hit 82 home runs a year ago, received home runs from Spencer Halloran, Blake Whitecotton, Fischer Durbala and Malique Ziegler.
NIACC scored five runs in the first inning and pushed across six runs in the third inning to claim cruise to the season-opening victory. Halloran hit a 3-run home run in the first inning to give the Trojans a cushion in their first at-bat.
The 19 runs were more than enough for sophomore ace Dan Loats, who gained the win. Loats, who struck out seven and walked three, allowed two runs on four hits in four innings of work.
Halloran collected four RBIs and Robbie Glendinning collected four hits, moving his career total to 111, which is tied for 12th on the school’s career hit list.
The 19 runs by the Trojans are the third most in the Travis Hergert era. The Trojans topped Miami-Middletown 30-1 early in the 2013 season and stopped Southeast CC 22-4 in the final game of the 2015 North Plains district tournament.
NIACC returns to action Saturday. The Trojans play Highland CC at 2:30 p.m. and Cloud County CC at 5 p.m.
Notes: NIACC’s Halloran has 75 career hits, 46 career RBIs and 5 career home runs … Troy Bullingham has 74 career hits, 60 career RBIs and 17 career doubes … Austin LaDoux has 54 career hits and 55 career RBIs … Jonathan Cruz has 49 career hits … Loats has a career record of 5-5 … Loats has 63 career strikeouts and 29 career walks in 69 2/3 innings pitched … NIACC coach Travis Hergert is 4-0 in season openers … Hergert has a career record of 106-65 … Hergert is 2-1 all-time vs. Highland CC.
NIACC 19, Highland 2 (7 innings)
NIACC 516 322 0 – 19 22 1
Highland CC 000 200 0 – 2 6 0
Dan Loats (7K, 3BB), Tyler Jacobson (5) (0K, 0BB), Noah Egger (6) (2K, 1BB), Ty Yewman (7) (3K, 1BB) and Blake Whitecotton. W – Loats (1-0). 2B – Troy Bullingham (N), Malique Ziegler (N). 3B – Brandon Michie (N). HR – Spencer Halloran (N), Whitecotton, Ziegler, Fischer Durbala (N). Multiple hits – Ziegler 2, Robbie Glendinning (N) 4, Bullingham 3, Halloran 2, Cam Shannon (N) 2, Michie 3, Jonathan Cruz (N) 2. Multiple RBIs – Ziegler 2, Connor Enochs (N) 2, Bullingham 2, Austin LaDoux (N) 2, Halloran 4, Shannon 2, Whitecotton 2.
