Pine Crest Wins Behind Strong Offensive Performance

Pine Crest defeated Highlands Christian Thursday night by a score of 11-8.  The game was moved up an hour from 7 PM to 6 AM due to weather in the forecast, but that did not slow the offense down for either team, as Pine Crest pounded out eighteen hits and Highlands tallied twelve of their own.

“Again, our offense has been pretty impressive and sometimes its the longball, Zack Kessinger and David Abers today were spot on” said Pine Crest Head Coach Glen Pierson.

The scoring got started early for both teams as Pine Crest jumped on the board in the top half of the first with 2 runs and Highlands answered with three of their own to take a 3-2 lead after one.

For Pine Crest, lead-off batter Jake Toffler singled and scored, and Ben Arkin added a RBI single.  Highlands Christian started off hot with back to back doubles by Tre Dingus and Kirvin Moesquit and a two-RBI single by Jason Hepple to start the bottom of the first.

The Panthers came right back in the top half of the second and put up three more runs on a home run by designated hitter David Abers after back to back walk to Dylan Smith and Alex Perez.

It was more of the same for Pine Crest in the third with two more runs to make it 7-3.  After two quick outs, a single by Smith and a double by Perez set the stage for Abers, and he delivered with a double.

Highlands added one in the bottom of the third with three single, which including a RBI single from designated hitter Josh Bossle.

There was no scoring in the fourth or fifth for either side and Pine Crest got back on the board with one in the sixth with a lead-off home run by Zack Kessinger. 

Highlands had a little rally in them, as they tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with four runs on four hits and a couple Pine Crest errors.  Marvin McQueen, Kevin Yambor, and Eric Hepple all had RBI singles in the inning.

A diving attempt in the bottom half of the sixth inning by Kessinger led to a brief delay to make sure he was not hurt. Kessinger may not have been 100% but stayed in the game and hit another home run the next inning to add a couple insurance runs.

In the seventh, five straight hits led to three Pine Crest runs. The dagger for Highlands was a pop fly with two outs to left field. With the score tied at eight, a wind blown high fly ball dropped in for a RBI double for  Michael Pierson to make it 9-8.  Kessinger followed with his second home run in as many at bats, for an 11-8 lead.

A diving attempt in the bottom half of the sixth inning by Kessinger led to a brief delay to make sure he was not hurt. Kessinger may not have been 100% but stayed in the game and hit another home run the next inning to add a couple insurance runs. 

“Before my last at-bat I was doubting if I would be able to grip the bat, and my coach’s told me to do the smart thing for the team” said Zack Kessinger about his second home run of the game. “But I took a few swings in the on-deck circle and it felt fine and I got a fastball I could drive.”

Arkin came in for Pine Crest in the bottom of the seventh and held Highlands down to earn the save.  Pierson work six innings for the win and Dingus received the loss working the last 3 innings for Highlands. 

“He kept us in the game,” said Panthers Head Coach Glenn Pierson of his starting pitcher, “He did a good enough job, I felt, to get that win earlier in the game, our defense just fell apart a little behind him, but credit to them they battled back.”

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