HUBBARD LEAVES RAIDERS SHIPWRECKED

HUBBARD, Ohio –

Five different players drove in runs for the Hubbard Eagles to back the pitching of Mikey Zapka to lead the Dirty Birds to a 7-2 non-conference victory over the Warren Harding Raiders.

Dylan Durkos delivered the biggest blow in a six-run fifth inning with a ground ball single through the 6-5 gap that would plate two runs. SophomoreBen Wilcox would finish the explosive fifth with a single to bring across Hubbard’s final run of the inning.

Offense wasn’t always so easy for the Eagles in this one as the Dirty Birds didn’t record their first hit until their huge fifth. The Harding pitcher, Elijah Taylor, was grooving into the inning, striking out six through his first four innings of work.

The right-handed junior Zapka, who struck out six and didn’t allow a single walk in the ballgame, threw his third complete game of the season and improved his record to 3-0. But after he allowed a solo home run to his pitching counterpart, Elijah Taylor, in the fourth, his back appeared to be against the wall but don’t tell Mikey that. “I knew I just had to stay confident and shake it off,” Zapkasaid. “I’m not the type of guy who lets a homerun get to him.”

Zapka would allow another run in the fifth before putting the clamps on the Raiders, only giving up two hits while striking out two in his last two innings of work.

TOP PERFORMERS:

HUBBARD

Mikey Zapka – 7 innings pitched, 6 Ks, 0 walks, 2earned runs