Fricke, Bailey crush home runs as Hilltoppers defeat Stags 26-3

[April 30, 2022]  The ball was flying out of the ballpark Tuesday at Hartsburg as Jackson Fricke slugged two home runs and AJ Bailey hit one home run to lead the Hilltoppers over the Stags 26-3. 

The Hilltoppers took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning without even recording a hit. 

The Stags scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI double by Drew McAfee.

The Hilltoppers blew the game wide open in the second inning, scoring 16 runs. The Hilltoppers tagged Stags pitching for 13 hits in the inning, including three home runs. Fricke homered twice in the inning, first crushing one over the centerfield fence and then sending one over the left field fence in his second at-bat in the inning. Bailey’s home run cleared the right field fence. Landon Smith and Clay Aylesworth also crushed doubles in the inning to score runs for Mount Pulaski. 

Back-to-back doubles by Will Wright and Jace Whitted scored a run for the Stags in the bottom of the second inning to make the score 19-2.

Gavin Smith and Kolin Gibbs added sacrifice flies in the top of the third inning to increase the score to 21-2.

The Hilltoppers added five more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Evan Cooper and Bailey added RBI doubles to plate runs.

The Stags added one more run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Mount Pulaski won the four-inning game by a final score of 26-3.

Colt Selinger earned the win for Mount Pulaski. Selinger pitched two innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out one batter.

Luke Farris pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on one hit. Farris struck out one batter.

Several Hilltoppers recorded multi-hit games as the team pounded out 19 hits. 

AJ Bailey was 3-for-4 with 5 RBIs and three runs scored. Jackson Fricke was 2-for-2 with 5 RBIs and two runs scored. Evan Cooper was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and four runs scored. Landon Smith was 2-for-2 with an RBI and three runs scored. Lucas Kuhlman was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Kolin Gibbs was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Ethan Payne, Luke Farris, Liam Smith, Clay Aylesworth and Gavin Smith each had one hit for the Hilltoppers. 

Mount Pulaski improved their record to 15-3 on the season.

The Hilltoppers will play today at LeRoy at 4:30 p.m.