Contributed
(Feb. 20, 2010)

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. —- The Huntingdon baseball team pounded out 20 hits and got six strong innings on the mound from sophomore John Rice on Friday, as it defeated Roanoke, 17-5, at Armstrong-Shelley Field.

With the win, the Hawks improved to 2-3 on the season, while the Maroons fell to 1-3 on the year.

Huntingdon’s offense saw 10 players get hits, including four players with three each. The bulk of the damage was done at the top of the line-up, as the Hawks’ 2-4 hitters, seniors Josh Bennefield, Kyle Eller and Shawn Bezwiechin, combined to go 9-for-15, with nine runs scored and 12 RBIs on the day. Bezwiechin finished with six runs batted in, while Eller added four more. All three had three hits, while Bennefield scored a team-high four runs.

Freshman Austin White also enjoyed a strong outing at the plate, finishing 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Bezwiechin and Bennefield each had two doubles.

On the mound, Rice (1-2) kept the Maroons in check, scattering eight hits over 6.0 innings to earn his first victory of the season. He allowed four runs, while striking out four in the outing. Senior Blake Gillies closed out the contest, allowing one run on three hits, during the final two frames.

Huntingdon scored in all eight innings, using a five-run fourth inning to put the game out of reach.

Chris Caputo took the loss for Roanoke, allowing seven hits and eight runs in just 3 1/3 innings of work. Cameron Travalini led the Maroons with three hits and two runs batted in.

The Hawks will return to action on Saturday when they will face Farmingdale State and Methodist.