Lincoln Heat take doubleheader at Mount Zion

[April 24, 2012]  MOUNT ZION -- This blustery, cold Sunday was the opening day of the season at Mount Zion, resulting in two victories for the Lincoln Heat with many bright spots to watch for with these future boys of summer.

Ben Steiner took the victory in the first game with his first five innings of the season, recording six strikeouts and giving up only one run. Preston Ebelherr and Ryan Thomas pitched in the last two innings.

Offense scored five runs on six hits, led by Steiner with a pair of doubles, and one hit each by Cooper Hitchens, A.J. Duff, Karter Browne and Andrew Yount.

The Heat won 5-4.

In the second game the Heat bats really came alive for a five-inning 20-4 victory. Lincoln had 22 hits, including six for extra bases.

Lincoln came out in the top of the first scoring six runs, highlighted by the first of two doubles by Duff, plating two runs. The boys then did one run better in the second, scoring seven runs. K.J. Fry had the team’s first fence-clearing solo home run of the season, followed by a two-run shot by Steiner, which was his first of two in the game. Steiner had four hits in the game and Fry had two. Other offense came from Thomas with three hits; Cole Sheley, two hits; Jacob Huskins, two hits; Colin Swallow, two hits; Yount, two hits and a triple; and one hit each by Hitchens, Browne and Ebelherr.

Duff pitched the first three scoreless innings, with Hitchens and Browne pitching the last two innings to close it out.

There were many bright spots on defense as well for the Heat, and this should prove to be a very exciting season.

[Text from file received from Tom Steiner]