Hawks Rally Late to Take Down Hilltoppers 6-4

Riverton Varsity Hawks erased an early deficit and surged late to defeat Mt. Pulaski 6-4 in a game that flipped momentum multiple times before a decisive sixth inning.

Mt. Pulaski came out strong in the bottom of the first, capitalizing on Riverton miscues. Tyler Cross reached on an error that brought in Luke Martin for the game’s first run, and later Carter Clark added to the lead with a fly ball that turned into another costly error, allowing two more runs to score for a quick 3-0 advantage.

Riverton chipped away in the third inning. A sacrifice fly from Cole Howard got the Hawks on the board, and a bases-loaded walk to Landon Bitschenauer brought in another run to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Hawks kept applying pressure in the fourth, tying the game at 3-3 on another walk before James Stevens gave Riverton its first lead at 4-3 with a sacrifice fly.

Mt. Pulaski answered in the fifth when Jaeden Jackson delivered a clutch RBI single to center, scoring Luke Martin and knotting the game at 4-4.

The turning point came in the top of the sixth. Riverton took advantage of another defensive miscue, as James Stevens reached on a single that led to an error, allowing Brodee Bates to score and Stevens to advance all the way to third. Moments later, Cole Howard delivered again with his second sacrifice fly of the game, bringing home Stevens to extend the lead to 6-4.

Riverton’s pitching held firm down the stretch, shutting the door over the final innings to secure the win.

Top Performers:

• James Stevens (Riverton): 1-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 run, key sac fly and go-ahead sequence in the 6th
• Brodee Bates (Riverton): 2 hits, 2 runs scored, constant spark at the top
• Cole Howard (Riverton): 3 RBIs via sacrifice flies, clutch production
• Jaeden Jackson (Mt. Pulaski): 2 hits, 1 RBI, tied game in the 5th
• Caden Wyler (Mt. Pulaski): 2 hits to lead the offense