ATHOL — It took two separate road trips, but the Frontier Regional baseball team beat Athol High School, 7-2, on Thursday.
The two teams played a rain-soaked two innings on Monday when the game was suspended in the third inning with the Red Hawks leading, 4-0.
Matt Hildreth took the mound a second time for the Red Hawks and got the win.
“I was just thankful it wasn’t raining today,” Hildreth said. “It was a little more difficult when it was downpouring. We were trading out balls on every pitch. Coming out here today was like a dream.”
Under a bright sun on a mild day, Hildreth pitching into the sixth inning, giving up one earned run in the separated outing with four strikeouts.
Hildreth also gave up four walks and four hits.
“It wasn’t my best or my worst,” Hildreth said. “I hit my spots but walked too many guys.”
Xavier Santiago came in for the Red Hawks and pitched the final one and two-thirds innings.
“He (Santiago) got me out of a tough situation,” Hildreth said.
Santiago struck out three and walked two to close out the Red Raiders.
Back on Monday, Frontier jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Athol starter Mark Ferrari in the first inning.
Bryan Baumann had an RBI single to open the scoring before Garrett DeForest doubled in two runs to make the score 4-0.
The Red Hawks scored three runs on Thursday.
“Today we come back and play these last five,” Frontier coach Chris Williams said of his team. “You let them hang around. You never put it away. That’s how I see it and that’s how I am going to talk it over with those guys.”
The Red Raiders (6-1) lost their first game of the season.
“That’s a good baseball team,” Athol coach Josh Talbot said. “They can swing it. But we have to be smarter baseball players. We are close to where I thought we are. But we are behind them.”
Noah Pottinger drew a walk with the bases loaded to notch an RBI, and Jack Bonenfant singled home a run in the sixth inning.
“If we keep working to get better we will be okay,” Talbot said. “Hopefully we have the mental strength to bounce back from this.”
Starting shortstop Dilan Fountain missed the game with an ankle injury.
In his place, Tim Casavecchia had two assists on grounders including one with the bases loaded in the third.
“We have a lot of baseball players,” Talbot said. “Guys that can step up.”
Ferrari pitched five innings, walking eight batters and giving up seven runs. He struck out seven with three hits allowed.
“Coming back after 45 pitches on two days rest is not an easy task,” Talbot said. “Was he his best, probably not. I am sure he will be back.”
Anthony Oro pitched two scoreless innings of relief for Athol.
Another run scored on a passed ball in the fourth, before Kiernan Freeman’s sacrifice fly for Frontier.
In the bottom of the third, both Baumann in left and Zack Renaud in right hit the grass for pivotal outs.
Also in the inning, two errors, a single and a walk loaded the bases for Athol but Hildreth got Bonenfant to ground out to end the threat.
Freeman added two hits for the Red Hawks.
Frontier 7, Athol 2
Frontier ………………. 401 120 0 — 7 5 3
Athol ………………….. 001 001 0 — 2 5 0
Hits: (F) Freeman 2, Baumann, DeForest, Evans; (A) Lutz, Bonenfant 2, Oro ,Pottinger
2B: (F) Baumann, DeForest
RBI: (F)Baumann, DeForest 3, Freeman; (A) Pottinger, Bonenfant
SB: (F) Hildreth, Baumann, Freeman 2, Renaud, Bryant, Evans, Barnes 2 .
WP: Hildreth (5⅓ip, 4k, 4bb) Santiago (1 ⅔ ip, 3 k 2 bb.
LP: Ferrari (5ip, 7k, 8bb) Oro (2ip 1k, 1bb)
