Tiger Baseball, Softball Teams Pick Up First Wins Of Season
April 18, 2021 at 9:12 p.m.
Tiger Baseball, Softball Teams Pick Up First Wins Of Season
By Chip Davenport-
Tiger head coach Andy Manes knew Warsaw’s bats would need some time to awaken in the early season. The victors sprayed 12 hits, ten of them coming from the bats of Sam Justice, Alex Light, Drew McCleary, and Joey Springer (all five with tow hits apiece).
Springer’s hitting helped his cause on the mound where he picked up the win with 4 2/3 innings pitched. The Tiger hurler allowed two runs on seven hits, walked one batter, and struck out five Eagles. Light, and Josh Shapiro preserved the lead in relief appearances on the mound.
Adin Miller went the distance for Columbia City surrendering all seven runs on twelve hits, but he struck out 11 Tigers. The victors are still piling up high volumes of strikeouts even in a strong offensive performance.
Warsaw will travel to Wawasee today at 5:00 p.m. for the first of three conference clashes for the week. The Tigers will host Goshen (Wednesday 5:30), then travel to Parkview Field Friday to take on Plymouth (7:00 p.m.).
Tiger softball gets first two wins
The Warsaw Tigers softball team picked up its first two wins of the early season in a Saturday doubleheader in the Tiger Athletic Complex, 9-1 and 11-6 in non-conference action against the Fort Wayne Snider Panthers. The team’s record moved to 2-2 for the season.
In the second game Snider and Warsaw took turns leading throughout the first five innings when the hosts entered the bottom of the sixth inning trailing 6-5.
Freshman twins Nat and Mak Holder scored the game-tying and game-winning runs, respectively. The siblings aggressive baserunning resulted in three advanced bases on two passed balls and one stolen base before each scored the two crucial runs.
“If you push the issue good things are going to happen for you,” Tiger head coach Kevin Dishman said about the aggressive baserunning. “It started in the dugout where the girls said ‘Hey we’ve had enough, so let’s get them’ and they got It done.”
The strategic decision by the Panthers to intentionally walk Tiger shortstop Lindsey Bradley with two outs, and instead face Lauren Eastwood, who approached the plate hitless in her first three at-bats, backfired on the guests. Instead of an expected force-out with runners on first and second base, and a chance for Snider to regain the lead, Eastwood ripped a solid single driving in Bradley and McKenzie to increase Warsaw’s lead 9-6, deflating the Panthers, who couldn’t hit the ball out of the infield in the top of the seventh inning.
Avery Sleeth, one of only two returning Tigers with varsity experience, was moved from catcher to second base following a Warsaw injury in the second game, and turned in a solid defensive performance. Sleeth had two assists in the final three outs, and dove to catch a line drive in the top of the sixth inning for the start of six straight retired Panther batters. Sleeth also belted an RBI double in the win.
“She stepped into an unfamiliar role and played well,” Dishman remarked. “We all adjusted, stayed positive, and everyone got in (the game) and contributed today.”
Pitcher Tori Tackett picked up both wins on the mound, helping her cause batting 4-8 for the day with three doubles, each landing against the left center field wall, and batted in five runs for the day. The senior hurler struck out ten Panther batters, giving up one run om five hits in the opening win.
“A day like today the chill in the air takes some distance off the ball,” Dishman said of Tackett’s long doubles. “On normal days here with a wind, those balls would fly out of here.”
Mac Holder scored five runs on the day reaching base on four walks and one fielder’s choice was testimony to the Tigers’ efforts in each game to get on base and move runners aggressively by all possible means.
Bradley also crossed the plate five times for the victors, rapping three hits including a double and one RBI. Nat Holder batter 4-6 with one RBI for the day. Eastwood added a double in the opener for the Tigers.
Warsaw hosts Wawasee for the first of four games for the week including trips to Columbia City, Goshen, and Plymouth.
Tiger head coach Andy Manes knew Warsaw’s bats would need some time to awaken in the early season. The victors sprayed 12 hits, ten of them coming from the bats of Sam Justice, Alex Light, Drew McCleary, and Joey Springer (all five with tow hits apiece).
Springer’s hitting helped his cause on the mound where he picked up the win with 4 2/3 innings pitched. The Tiger hurler allowed two runs on seven hits, walked one batter, and struck out five Eagles. Light, and Josh Shapiro preserved the lead in relief appearances on the mound.
Adin Miller went the distance for Columbia City surrendering all seven runs on twelve hits, but he struck out 11 Tigers. The victors are still piling up high volumes of strikeouts even in a strong offensive performance.
Warsaw will travel to Wawasee today at 5:00 p.m. for the first of three conference clashes for the week. The Tigers will host Goshen (Wednesday 5:30), then travel to Parkview Field Friday to take on Plymouth (7:00 p.m.).
Tiger softball gets first two wins
The Warsaw Tigers softball team picked up its first two wins of the early season in a Saturday doubleheader in the Tiger Athletic Complex, 9-1 and 11-6 in non-conference action against the Fort Wayne Snider Panthers. The team’s record moved to 2-2 for the season.
In the second game Snider and Warsaw took turns leading throughout the first five innings when the hosts entered the bottom of the sixth inning trailing 6-5.
Freshman twins Nat and Mak Holder scored the game-tying and game-winning runs, respectively. The siblings aggressive baserunning resulted in three advanced bases on two passed balls and one stolen base before each scored the two crucial runs.
“If you push the issue good things are going to happen for you,” Tiger head coach Kevin Dishman said about the aggressive baserunning. “It started in the dugout where the girls said ‘Hey we’ve had enough, so let’s get them’ and they got It done.”
The strategic decision by the Panthers to intentionally walk Tiger shortstop Lindsey Bradley with two outs, and instead face Lauren Eastwood, who approached the plate hitless in her first three at-bats, backfired on the guests. Instead of an expected force-out with runners on first and second base, and a chance for Snider to regain the lead, Eastwood ripped a solid single driving in Bradley and McKenzie to increase Warsaw’s lead 9-6, deflating the Panthers, who couldn’t hit the ball out of the infield in the top of the seventh inning.
Avery Sleeth, one of only two returning Tigers with varsity experience, was moved from catcher to second base following a Warsaw injury in the second game, and turned in a solid defensive performance. Sleeth had two assists in the final three outs, and dove to catch a line drive in the top of the sixth inning for the start of six straight retired Panther batters. Sleeth also belted an RBI double in the win.
“She stepped into an unfamiliar role and played well,” Dishman remarked. “We all adjusted, stayed positive, and everyone got in (the game) and contributed today.”
Pitcher Tori Tackett picked up both wins on the mound, helping her cause batting 4-8 for the day with three doubles, each landing against the left center field wall, and batted in five runs for the day. The senior hurler struck out ten Panther batters, giving up one run om five hits in the opening win.
“A day like today the chill in the air takes some distance off the ball,” Dishman said of Tackett’s long doubles. “On normal days here with a wind, those balls would fly out of here.”
Mac Holder scored five runs on the day reaching base on four walks and one fielder’s choice was testimony to the Tigers’ efforts in each game to get on base and move runners aggressively by all possible means.
Bradley also crossed the plate five times for the victors, rapping three hits including a double and one RBI. Nat Holder batter 4-6 with one RBI for the day. Eastwood added a double in the opener for the Tigers.
Warsaw hosts Wawasee for the first of four games for the week including trips to Columbia City, Goshen, and Plymouth.
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