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PIAA softball semifinals finalized

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Edwardsville Pierogi Festival kicks off

<p>There are hot streaks, and then there&#8217;s whatever is happening with Kyle Higashioka right now.</p><p>The recent Scranton/Wilkes-Barre call-up continued to treat baseballs like beach balls on Friday, hitting two home runs to fuel the RailRiders&#8217; 10-7 victory at Columbus.</p><p>With his team trailing 5-3 in the top of the sixth, Higashioka hammered a game-tying two-run shot to left following a Tyler Austin double.</p><p>The game stayed 5-5 until Higashioka stepped in again in the seventh and promptly sent another pitch over the fence in left, this time for a three-run homer that gave the RailRiders the lead for good.</p><p>Columbus would pull within 8-7 in the eighth before Conor Mullee induced an inning-ending double play with two men on to preserve the lead.</p><p>Higashioka was 3 for 4 with five RBI and three runs scored by the time he came up in the ninth. With runners on second and third, the Clippers elected to intentionally walk him this time around.</p><p>No matter. Cesar Puello responded with a two-run double to give Scranton/Wilkes-Barre some insurance.</p><p>Since he went 0 for 4 in his first game after arriving from Double-A Trenton, Higashioka now has a hit in 10 straight games, batting a scorching 18-for-39 (.462).</p><p>In that stretch, he now has five homers, four doubles, 13 RBI and 11 runs scored.</p><p>He&#8217;s certainly not the only one with a hot bat. Austin (RBI) doubled three times on Friday and Puello (two RBI) doubled twice, finishing with four of the RailRiders&#8217; 14 hits to help them erase deficits of 3-1 and 5-3 .</p><p>Johnny Barbato picked up the win in relief of ineffective starter Luis Cessa, who got the hook in the second inning after giving up three runs on five hits. Diego Moreno took over through the fifth before Barbato and Mullee closed it out.</p><p>Mullee was the only RailRiders pitcher not to allow a run, throwing the eighth and ninth to earn the save.</p><p>It was the first game of a six-day road trip for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (33-28), with the series against the Clippers continuing at 7:15 p.m. Saturday.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLsports</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Higashioka homers twice to power RailRiders past Columbus