Big Inning Ends Valley's Baseball Season
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SOUTH WHITLEY - The combination of a hard-hitting Norwell team and untimely mistakes were too much for Tippecanoe Valley to overcome as the Vikings fell 13-3 in the Whitko sectional baseball final Thursday afternoon, the first held at Whitko.
It was the first sectional final for Valley since 1994.
The tone of the game was set early when Norwell's Scott Woodward reached base after striking out and then advancing on a passed ball.
Woodward then advanced to second on a stolen base and scored on a throwing error by Tippecanoe Valley shortstop Brandon Newcomer.
"We didn't want to start the game by giving them five outs instead of three," said Tippecanoe Valley head coach Scott Backus refering to the passed ball and error. "Who knows what happens if we get out of that inning. But give Norwell credit, they took advantage of our mistakes."
The Knights' second baseman Harry Jauert then sent a Josh Baize fastball deep into the woods behind the left center field wall with Adam Rupright on base.
The Vikings got on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning when Newcomer shot a double to left field then later scored on a wild pitch by Norwell's Nathan Minniear.
Minniear went 3.2 innings, giving up two runs and five hits and striking out three. Junior Blake Gehring came in to relieve Minniear.
Norwell extended its lead in the top of the third inning on the game's second homerun off the bat of Rupright. Jauert followed and was hit by a pitch. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Clay Dafforn sacrificed to advance Jauert to third but was safe after Kyle Brown was unable to scoop up a low-thrown ball. Jauert scored on the error.
Brown quickly made up for the run when he went yard to straightaway center field to lead off the top of the fourth inning.
The Vikings had a chance to draw closer than their 6-2 deficit but left the bases loaded. Valley left seven runners on base for the game.
The game broke wide open in the bottom of the fourth inning when Norwell scored seven runs with two outs.
The Knights batted around in the inning while amassing five hits. Brady Kinsel, Kevin Kindig and Brandon Newcomer all came in to pitch for the Vikings.
Valley's pitching staff walked five batters in the inning.
When Gehring crossed the plate for Norwell's 13th run of the ballgame, the Knights had enough to end the game after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Valley attempted to extend the game past five innings but once again left runners stranded on base.
Keith Kindig scored on a Jason Sausaman sacrifice fly to make the score 13-3. With Newcomer and Brown on base, Blake Casper flied out deep to right field to end the game and give Norwell a sectional crown.
"It's frustrating to lose. I'm happy with a winning season and getting to a sectional final though. For us to do what we did with just two seniors, I'm happy," said Backus.
A late-season injury also factored in the Vikings loss. Sophomore pitcher Bret Hunter, who had an ERA under 1.00, suffered an injury and was unavailable for sectional play.
But with Hunter and the rest of his pitching staff coming back next year, along with most of his position players, Backus has reason to be optimistic.
"We have a lot coming back so I'm happy where we stand for next year," said Backus.
Interestingly, next year's sectional final may be a rematch as Norwell loses just two seniors as well.
The Vikings finish the season with a 15-13 record.
NORWELL 13, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 3 (5 innings)
Tippecanoe Valley
AB R H RBI
Kev. Kindig 3 0 0 0
Newsome 3 0 1 0
Kei. Kindig 3 1 1 0
Brown 3 1 1 1
Newcomer 3 1 3 0
Sausaman 2 0 1 1
Casper 3 0 1 0
Fisher 0 0 0 0
Kinsel 1 0 0 0
Totals 21 3 8 2
Norwell
AB R H RBI
Williams 4 0 2 2
Woodward 2 2 1 0
Goodmiller 3 0 0 0
Rupright 2 3 2 2
Jauret 2 3 2 2
Dafforn 1 1 0 0
Otis 1 1 0 1
Gehring 2 1 0 0
Lewis 3 2 1 0
Totals 20 13 8 7
Tippecanoe Valley (15-13) 010 11X X - 3 8 3
Norwell 312 7XX X - 13 8 0
3B - None. HR - Jauert, Rupright, Brown
IP H R ER BB HB K
Tippecanoe Valley
Baize (L, 3-6) 2.0 3 6 2 1 1 1
Kinsel 1.2 2 5 5 3 0 0
Kev. Kindig 0-0 0 1 0 1 0 0
Newcomer 0.1 3 1 0 0 0 0
Norwell
Minniear (W) 3.2 4 2 1 2 0 3
Gehring 1.1 4 1 1 1 0 1 [[In-content Ad]]
SOUTH WHITLEY - The combination of a hard-hitting Norwell team and untimely mistakes were too much for Tippecanoe Valley to overcome as the Vikings fell 13-3 in the Whitko sectional baseball final Thursday afternoon, the first held at Whitko.
It was the first sectional final for Valley since 1994.
The tone of the game was set early when Norwell's Scott Woodward reached base after striking out and then advancing on a passed ball.
Woodward then advanced to second on a stolen base and scored on a throwing error by Tippecanoe Valley shortstop Brandon Newcomer.
"We didn't want to start the game by giving them five outs instead of three," said Tippecanoe Valley head coach Scott Backus refering to the passed ball and error. "Who knows what happens if we get out of that inning. But give Norwell credit, they took advantage of our mistakes."
The Knights' second baseman Harry Jauert then sent a Josh Baize fastball deep into the woods behind the left center field wall with Adam Rupright on base.
The Vikings got on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning when Newcomer shot a double to left field then later scored on a wild pitch by Norwell's Nathan Minniear.
Minniear went 3.2 innings, giving up two runs and five hits and striking out three. Junior Blake Gehring came in to relieve Minniear.
Norwell extended its lead in the top of the third inning on the game's second homerun off the bat of Rupright. Jauert followed and was hit by a pitch. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Clay Dafforn sacrificed to advance Jauert to third but was safe after Kyle Brown was unable to scoop up a low-thrown ball. Jauert scored on the error.
Brown quickly made up for the run when he went yard to straightaway center field to lead off the top of the fourth inning.
The Vikings had a chance to draw closer than their 6-2 deficit but left the bases loaded. Valley left seven runners on base for the game.
The game broke wide open in the bottom of the fourth inning when Norwell scored seven runs with two outs.
The Knights batted around in the inning while amassing five hits. Brady Kinsel, Kevin Kindig and Brandon Newcomer all came in to pitch for the Vikings.
Valley's pitching staff walked five batters in the inning.
When Gehring crossed the plate for Norwell's 13th run of the ballgame, the Knights had enough to end the game after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Valley attempted to extend the game past five innings but once again left runners stranded on base.
Keith Kindig scored on a Jason Sausaman sacrifice fly to make the score 13-3. With Newcomer and Brown on base, Blake Casper flied out deep to right field to end the game and give Norwell a sectional crown.
"It's frustrating to lose. I'm happy with a winning season and getting to a sectional final though. For us to do what we did with just two seniors, I'm happy," said Backus.
A late-season injury also factored in the Vikings loss. Sophomore pitcher Bret Hunter, who had an ERA under 1.00, suffered an injury and was unavailable for sectional play.
But with Hunter and the rest of his pitching staff coming back next year, along with most of his position players, Backus has reason to be optimistic.
"We have a lot coming back so I'm happy where we stand for next year," said Backus.
Interestingly, next year's sectional final may be a rematch as Norwell loses just two seniors as well.
The Vikings finish the season with a 15-13 record.
NORWELL 13, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 3 (5 innings)
Tippecanoe Valley
AB R H RBI
Kev. Kindig 3 0 0 0
Newsome 3 0 1 0
Kei. Kindig 3 1 1 0
Brown 3 1 1 1
Newcomer 3 1 3 0
Sausaman 2 0 1 1
Casper 3 0 1 0
Fisher 0 0 0 0
Kinsel 1 0 0 0
Totals 21 3 8 2
Norwell
AB R H RBI
Williams 4 0 2 2
Woodward 2 2 1 0
Goodmiller 3 0 0 0
Rupright 2 3 2 2
Jauret 2 3 2 2
Dafforn 1 1 0 0
Otis 1 1 0 1
Gehring 2 1 0 0
Lewis 3 2 1 0
Totals 20 13 8 7
Tippecanoe Valley (15-13) 010 11X X - 3 8 3
Norwell 312 7XX X - 13 8 0
3B - None. HR - Jauert, Rupright, Brown
IP H R ER BB HB K
Tippecanoe Valley
Baize (L, 3-6) 2.0 3 6 2 1 1 1
Kinsel 1.2 2 5 5 3 0 0
Kev. Kindig 0-0 0 1 0 1 0 0
Newcomer 0.1 3 1 0 0 0 0
Norwell
Minniear (W) 3.2 4 2 1 2 0 3
Gehring 1.1 4 1 1 1 0 1 [[In-content Ad]]