Young arm leads HHS

HOUSTON — With three games during a three-day span, Houston head coach Bill Kramer and his staff scripted a pitching plan for the long weekend. The Hawks would throw captains Russ Ruta and Scott Kramer on the mound during the first leg of the stretch against, and the remainder of the Hawks arms would be ready for games against Soldotna and Homer.

But sometimes things don’t always go as planned, and Plan B may produce a pleasant surprise.

Freshman Cody Buntin came in relief of Ruta and pitched the final three innings to help the Hawks post a 12-3 win over the Kenai Central Kardinals at Kramer Field in Houston on Thursday.

“It’s a big deal. Cody’s a freshman and came in and threw (three) solid innings,” Bill Kramer said.

It was the freshman’s first appearance with the varsity squad of the season.

“There is a lot of pressure on ya,” Buntin said of the difference between pitching junior varsity and varsity. “(Houston catcher Patrick Fitzgerald) was helping me out a lot.”

Buntin didn’t allow a hit during his first two innings, while striking out one hitter and walking another. Kenai singled off Buntin twice in the fifth.

“I was keeping it low, letting them to hit ground balls to my defense,” Buntin said.

Kramer said the emergence of Buntin helped Houston defensively.

“It really strengthened our defense to bring the freshman to the mound and move Russ to second base, which gives us a real solid middle,” Kramer said.

Kenai was able to take the early lead. AJ Hull led off the third with a single and scored on a Johnny Wilson fielder’s choice to give the Kards the 1-0 advantage.

The Hawks were able to answer with seven runs in the bottom of the inning. Houston’s No. 9 hitter, Zach Lovelace, sparked the Hawks’s rally. Lovelace reached on after a passed ball on a called third strike to lead off the third, and later scored on another passed ball.

Scott Kramer followed with a double and was driven in by a Dylan Figley single. Figley scored on a wild pitch to give the Hawks the 3-1. Ruta singled and scored, and Greg Schmidt, Michael Malidore and Jaden Sears also scored in the inning.

“We kept battling,” Scott Kramer said.

Houston added a pair of runs in the fourth. Ruta reached on a Kenai error and scored to give Houston the 8-1 lead. Fitzgerald reached on a fielder’s choice and scored.

The Kardinals got back on the scoreboard in the fifth. Robert Cochral and Shane Spalding notched back-to-back singles to start off the inning. Cochral scored on Dylan Sterling’s ground out and Spalding scored after a passed ball.

Houston forced the 10-run mercy rule with four runs in the fifth. Lovelace led off the inning with an infield single. Figley drove in Lovelace with a single to left field. Both Figley and Scott Kramer scored on Ruta’s two-run single to right field.

Houston continues its homestand tonight hosting Soldotna. Homer hits Kramer Field on Saturday.

The Kards stay in the Valley to play Colony tonight.