Reymar Matos and Christian Stratis combined for nine strikeouts on the mound, and Hilton Head High avenged Monday’s walk-off loss to Bluffton with a 3-1 home victory over the Bobcats on Wednesday to split the two-game season series.
Nico Martucci gave the Bobcats the early lead with a two-out double in the first inning, but the Seahawks struck back with two of their own in the bottom half thanks to an Ethan Russo RBI single and a passed ball.
Matos began to find his groove in the second, retiring six straight batters including two on strikes. The Bobcats threatened in the fifth after a Preston Burnside walk and Cody Bradt hit-and-run single put runners on the corners with two outs, but a sharp lineout off the bat of Game 1 hero Jackson Arseneau kept the home lead intact.
The Seahawks tacked on a key insurance run in the sixth inning, as the UAB commit Stratis sent a rocket off the center-field fence for a stand-up double before Russo poked a single into right field to go up 3-1. Stratis then finished the job on the mound in the seventh, retiring the Bobcats in order including two strikeouts to wrap up his two hitless innings of work and seal the Seahawks’ first Region 7-4A win.
Hilton Head High (3-4, 1-3) hosted Oceanside Collegiate on Friday, while Bluffton (3-1, 1-1) returned home Friday to face East Clarendon.
BLHS 100 000 0 – 1 3 1
HHIHS 200 001 x – 3 4 1
WP: Reymar Matos 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 K, 2 BB
LP: Miles Frye 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 8 K, 1 BB
HHIHS: Ethan Russo 2-3, 2 RBI; Christian Stratis 1-2, 2B, 2R, BB; 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 K, 1 BB
BLHS: Nico Martucci 1-2, 2B, RBI, BB
By Wes Kerr / Photo by Justin Jarrett
Some local sports content that is not sponsored is now available only to LowcoSports.com’s Patreon supporters. Pledge your monthly support here for as little as $1 per month to ensure you have access to all of our grassroots LOCAL sports coverage!