09 Apr 2025 Walton sets stolen bases record in series sweep
HOT SPRINGS — The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawk baseball team (24-12-1) swept its National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 2 doubleheader on Tuesday with Arkansas State University Mid-South (ASU Mid-South) at Majestic Park Monday, earning a 10-0 victory in the opener and rallying from behind to secure a 18-7 win in the finale.
A five-run second inning propelled NPC to victory in the opener. Sophomore third baseman Landon Hennen (Choudrant, Louisiana) drove in two runs on a fielder’s choice, followed by a bases-loaded walk from sophomore second baseman Que Walton (Atlanta, Georgia). Later in the inning, sophomore first baseman Josh Wacaser (Bentonville) drove in two additional runs on a fielder’s choice. Hennen extended the Nighthawks’ lead in the bottom of the third inning, knocking a two-run home run over the left field wall.
Leading, 7-0, entering the bottom of the fifth inning, NPC added its final three runs of the game with freshman left fielder Ty Ruby (Greenbrier) scoring on a wild pitch, followed by a walk-off two-run triple from freshman shortstop Cam Landy (Perth, Australia) to seal the run-ruled victory.
Sophomore righthander Ian Holm (Lafayette, Louisiana) allowed zero runs on five hits with seven strikeouts through five innings to earn the win. Sophomore center fielder Ryan McClure (Double Oak, Texas) went three-for-three at the plate, while Hennen finished with one hit and four runs batted in.
The Nighthawks rallied from behind early to take a lopsided victory in the finale. Following a four-run surge from ASU Mid-South in the top of the first inning, NPC responded with five runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead. Sophomore designated hitter Aiden Smith (Nashville) secured a bases-loaded walk, followed by a bases-loaded hit by pitch from sophomore left fielder Justin Mitchem (Benton). Later in the inning, freshman catcher Aidan Adair drove in a run on a sacrifice groundout, followed by an RBI single from sophomore right fielder Dylan Garcia (Rockwall, Texas) and an RBI double from Hennen to go ahead, 5-4.
After the Greyhounds tied the game at the top of the third inning, the Nighthawks responded with a four-run bottom of the fourth inning to regain the lead. Walton drove in McClure with an RBI single, followed by an RBI sacrifice fly from Mitchem. With the bases loaded, the Greyhounds balked Walton home, followed by an RBI single from Adair to give NPC a 9-5 advantage. ASU Mid-South pulled within two runs, 9-7, with a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning, but NPC would answer in the bottom of the frame with a two-run homer from Walton to pad the lead.
NPC surged for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, putting the game out of reach. Garcia tripled, scoring Adair, followed by an RBI single from Hennen. With a stolen base in the bottom of the fame, Walton surpassed former Nighthawk Demias Jimerson (Malvern) to become the program’s all-time leader in stolen bases. Later in the inning, Wacaser drove in a run on a hard-hit ground ball, Mitchem drew a bases-loaded walk, Walton scored on a wild pitch and Adair knocked in two runs with a double to center field. Unable to score in the top of the seventh inning, the Nighthawks put the finishing touches on the series sweep.
Freshman pitcher Andre Bilbao, Jr. (Orange City, Florida) earned the win for NPC, allowing three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts over four and two-thirds innings in relief. Adair led the Nighthawks at the plate, finishing three-for-five with five runs batted in, while Garcia added three hits in three at bats in the win.
NPC plays host to South Arkansas College on Thursday, April 10, in a doubleheader at Majestic Park, beginning at 1 p.m. The games will be streamed live on the Nighthawk Network.
