News Photo by Jonny Zawacki Hillman’s Andrew Funk (11) drives in the Tigers first run of the season after connecting on a high fastball during the first inning of a baseball game on Friday at Hillman High School.

HILLMAN — Coming into the year with high expectations, the Hillman baseball team opened the season with a doubleheader sweep of Newberry on Friday, beating the Indians 10-1 and 5-1.

The Tigers wasted no time putting runs on the board in the opener as Jared Juergens led off the home half of the first with a single to right field and later stole second base. Andrew Funk followed Juergens with a single of his own that scored Juergens for Hillman’s first run of the new campaign.

With two down in the bottom of the first, Kory Henigan hit a two-out, two RBI single that plated Caine Hunt and Izac Thompson as Hillman grabbed an early three run lead.

“We hit the ball better than I anticipated. We came out bats a blazing today and I was happy to see that,” Hillman coach Rick Firman said. “We looked sharp. There were a few minor things that we can fix, but offensively and defensively we looked sharp and for the first time out that’s all you can really ask for.”

The three run lead was more than enough for Kyler Moir who started on the hill and pitched four innings of one run ball, while allowing just two hits and striking out four.

Hillman added two more runs in the second, four runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to coast to a big opening victory.

Hunt led the way for the Tigers in game one as he reached base all four times, going 3-for-3 with three singles, three RBI, two runs and was hit by a pitch. Juergens did his job as leadoff man by also reaching base four times as he went 2-for-3 with a three runs scored, a walk, a stolen base and reached on an error.

Hillman collected 11 hits in the game and were backed by a strong start from Moir and two solid innings of no hit ball from Kory Henigan in relief. Henigan also had two RBI in the win.

The Tigers got another solid pitching performance in the nightcap, this time from Juergens who had electric stuff on opening day. Juergens tossed five innings, allowing one unearned, while giving up just two hits, a walk and fanning seven batters.

“You hope you can expect big things from the two that started today because they were exceptional last year. To have them back as only juniors, that’s a really big deal for us,” Firman said. “Hopefully there is more of that to come the rest of the season. They both pitched exceptionally well today. They didn’t allow too many baserunners and we played good defense behind them and that always helps.”

Again the Tigers wasted no time cracking the scoreboard as Juergens continued his huge opening day as he led off with a single in the bottom of the first, advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Funk and came around to score a batter later when Moir ripped a double down the right field line to give Hillman the early edge.

Juergens struck out six of the first eight batters he faced before the Tigers committed a couple of fielding errors in the top of third and George Sevarns reached on a fielders choice that scored Nathan Magnusson for the Indians only run.

Hillman responded in the home half of the third as the first four batters of the inning reached base and later came around to score as Moir and Hunt collected an RBI in the inning along with Nic Taratuta who capped off the inning by laying down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt that scored Hunt from third base.

“We did a lot of things well today, but we did miss a few signs. Physical mistakes happen all of the time and most of the time there isn’t much you can do about it, but mental mistakes there is always something you can do about that and we don’t take them lightly because later in the season that will hurt you. Other then that I was happy with this performance in our first games of the season,” Firman said.

Funk finished off the final inning of the nightcap by retiring three of the four batters he face to secure the win.

At the plate, Moir went a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored to lead the way.

Hillman will be back in action on Monday when it hosts Johannesburg-Lewiston.

Jonny Zawacki can be reached via email at jzawacki@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5690.