DeGeeter Wins Two, Leads Tigers To Sectional Championship
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
WATERLOO -ÊSome pitchers would be satisfied to get one win in a day. At Saturday's DeKalb Sectional, Warsaw ace Ryan DeGeeter picked up two.
After pitching seven innings and getting a win in the morning game against Fort Wayne Carroll, DeGeeter was called on in the sectional final against Columbia City and led the No. 6 Warsaw Tigers to a 9-4 win.
With the score tied at 4-all, DeGeeter stepped to the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning.
"I knew when we brought DeGeeter in we had a very good chance of winning," said senior catcher Josh Stork.
DeGeeter shut down the Eagles, pitching three innings with no hits, no runs and three strikeouts. All totaled, DeGeeter pitched ten innings, gave up one hit, struck out 15 batters and walked four batters.
After the impressive performance, DeGeeter remained humble.
"We'll see how my arm feels tomorrow," he said.
"This just in - No. 9's pretty good," said Warsaw coach Will Shepherd. "Ryan DeGeeter is a very special kid. He came in against Columbia City and shut the door. He proved why he is one of the best players in the state. We are very excited for him, for all the seniors. This is their first sectional, and it is very special."
DeGeeter's performance on the mound, paired with Warsaw's three-run offensive output in the sixth inning and a two-run output in the seventh inning led the Tigers to their first sectional championship since 1996.
"This is amazing," said Tiger senior Zack Smith. "We have not really put two good games together all year. I think we came out a little flat against Columbia City. They fought hard, but we stayed right in there with them and never gave in."
In the sectional championship game, the Tigers jumped on the scoreboard early. Brandon LaFollette reached first on a walk, but he didn't stay there long as DeGeeter blasted a home run over the centerfield fence to put Warsaw up 2-0.
But that lead did not last long. Five walks in the second inning led to two Columbia City runs, tying the score at 2-all.
Singles by Sean Alderfer, LaFollette, William Knepper and Smith led to two more Warsaw runs in the top of the third inning, giving the Tigers a 4-2 advantage.
Columbia City clawed its way back into the game, scoring one run in the third and one run in the fourth to knot the game at 4-all.
Enter DeGeeter. The Tiger hurler entered the game wih runners on first and second and no outs, but that situation quickly changed as Warsaw third baseman Berto Nunez turned turned a double play by tagging a runner heading to third and quickly tossing the ball to Knepper at first base. DeGeeter struck out the last batter of the inning, sending Warsaw to back to the plate.
In the top of the sixth frame, Sean Alderfer hit a two-out double to left-center to start a Tiger rally. LaFollette reached base on an error that scored Alderfer. Then LaFollete scored on a double down the first-base line by Ryan DeGeeter. A single by Knepper sent DeGeeter home and gave Warsaw a 7-4 advantage.
After a 1-2-3 sixth inning for the Eagles, the Tigers found themselves at the plate once again. This time, Berto Nunez walked to first and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Stork. Nunez scored on a single by Mark Sherman, and then Sherman stole second and scored on a single by Alderfer.
Going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Warsaw held a 9-4 lead. Another 1-2-3 inning by Columbia City gave Warsaw the sectional title.
"We played our hearts out," said DeGeeter. "Thing's didn't always go our way, but we fought through it and played 14 innings from the bottom of our hearts."
"This is a big victory for us," said Knepper. "It feels so good to play with this team, I really love these guys. We have a lot of fun together one the field and off the field."
Agaisnt the Eagles, Warsaw pounded out 10 hits. DeGeeter led the Tiger bats with a home run and a double, while Knepper and Alderfer both had one double and two singles. LaFollette, Smith and Sherman had one hit each.
"This is great," said Nunez. "This is our first sectional championship, and it makes all the hard work of the last three years pay off. The feeling is hard to explain, I'm just speechless right now."
The win improves Warsaw's record to 25-4-1. The Tigers advance to the Kokomo Regional Saturday where they will play No. 5 McCutcheon in the opening game of the regional.
"It feels great," said Shepherd. "These kids have worked hard. We didn't play our best tonight, but we never let go of the rope until we got it done. It took a lot of guys to get it done tonight, and I am so proud of this team."
DEKALB BASEBALL SECTIONAL
Semifinal Round
WARSAW 8, CARROLL 0
Warsaw 103 201 1 - 8 11 1
Carroll 000 000 0 - 0 1 6
Warsaw AB R H RBI
Alderfer ss 4 2 1 0
LaFollette cf 3 2 2 0
DeGeeter p 4 1 2 2
Conrad pr 0 0 0 0
Knepper 1b 4 1 1 1
Smith rf 3 0 2 1
Nunez 3b 3 1 1 0
O'Neill pr 0 0 0 0
Stork c 4 0 2 1
Foster pr 0 0 0 0
Sharp 2b 3 0 0 0
Sherman lf 3 1 0 0
Totals 31 8 11 5
Carroll AB R H RBI
Diller cf 3 0 0 0
Weaver 2b 3 0 1 0
Schlichter 3b 2 0 0 0
Glassley ss 3 0 0 0
Emerson 1b 2 0 0 0
Crooks c 2 0 0 0
Farrell lf 3 0 0 0
Shippy p 2 0 0 0
Scheele rf 1 0 0 0
Totals 21 0 1 0
LOB - Warsaw 7, Carroll 5. DP -ÊWarsaw 0, Carroll 2. 2B -ÊLaFollette 1, Smith 1, Nunez 1. SB -Ênone. CS -ÊFoster, Weaver. HB -ÊSchlichter.
IP R ER H BB SO
Warsaw
DeGeeter, W 7 0 0 1 4 12
Carroll
Shippy, L 2.2 4 0 5 1 1
Glassley 0.2 2 1 2 1 0
Schlichter 3.2 2 2 4 2 2
HB -ÊDeGeeter 1.
Championship Game
WARSAW 9, COLUMBIA CITY 4
Warsaw 202 003 2 - 9 10 2
Col. City 021 100 0 - 4 5 3
Warsaw AB R H RBI
Alderfer ss 4 2 3 1
LaFollette p 4 3 1 0
DeGeeter lf 3 1 2 3
Stouder pr 0 1 0 0
Knepper 1b 4 0 3 2
Conrad pr 0 0 0 0
Smith cf 4 0 1 1
Nunez 3b 3 1 0 0
Stork c 2 0 0 0
O'Neill pr 0 0 0 0
Sharp 2b 4 0 0 0
Sherman rf 3 1 1 1
Griepentrog p 1 0 0 0
Totals 32 9 11 8
Col. City AB R H RBI
Baker 2b 3 0 1 1
Lowen c 3 0 0 0
Bireley 1b 4 0 0 0
King cf 3 0 0 0
Denihan dh 3 1 2 0
Harver pr 0 0 0 0
Smith 3b 2 0 0 0
Downing lf 2 1 1 1
Rohrer rf 2 1 0 0
Preston ss 3 1 1 1
Totals 25 4 5 3
LOB -ÊWarsaw 9, Columbia City 6. DP -ÊWarsaw 1, Columbia City 1. 2B -ÊAlderfer 1, DeGeeter 1, Knepper 1. HR - DeGeeter, Preston. SB -ÊSherman. Sac - Stork.
IP R ER H BB SO
Warsaw
LaFollette 1 2 2 1 4 2
Griepentrog 3 2 2 4 2 1
DeGeeter, W 3 0 0 0 0 3
Col. City
Lehman 1 2 2 2 2 1
Smith 3 2 2 4 2 2
Bireley, L 3 5 2 5 1 4 [[In-content Ad]]
WATERLOO -ÊSome pitchers would be satisfied to get one win in a day. At Saturday's DeKalb Sectional, Warsaw ace Ryan DeGeeter picked up two.
After pitching seven innings and getting a win in the morning game against Fort Wayne Carroll, DeGeeter was called on in the sectional final against Columbia City and led the No. 6 Warsaw Tigers to a 9-4 win.
With the score tied at 4-all, DeGeeter stepped to the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning.
"I knew when we brought DeGeeter in we had a very good chance of winning," said senior catcher Josh Stork.
DeGeeter shut down the Eagles, pitching three innings with no hits, no runs and three strikeouts. All totaled, DeGeeter pitched ten innings, gave up one hit, struck out 15 batters and walked four batters.
After the impressive performance, DeGeeter remained humble.
"We'll see how my arm feels tomorrow," he said.
"This just in - No. 9's pretty good," said Warsaw coach Will Shepherd. "Ryan DeGeeter is a very special kid. He came in against Columbia City and shut the door. He proved why he is one of the best players in the state. We are very excited for him, for all the seniors. This is their first sectional, and it is very special."
DeGeeter's performance on the mound, paired with Warsaw's three-run offensive output in the sixth inning and a two-run output in the seventh inning led the Tigers to their first sectional championship since 1996.
"This is amazing," said Tiger senior Zack Smith. "We have not really put two good games together all year. I think we came out a little flat against Columbia City. They fought hard, but we stayed right in there with them and never gave in."
In the sectional championship game, the Tigers jumped on the scoreboard early. Brandon LaFollette reached first on a walk, but he didn't stay there long as DeGeeter blasted a home run over the centerfield fence to put Warsaw up 2-0.
But that lead did not last long. Five walks in the second inning led to two Columbia City runs, tying the score at 2-all.
Singles by Sean Alderfer, LaFollette, William Knepper and Smith led to two more Warsaw runs in the top of the third inning, giving the Tigers a 4-2 advantage.
Columbia City clawed its way back into the game, scoring one run in the third and one run in the fourth to knot the game at 4-all.
Enter DeGeeter. The Tiger hurler entered the game wih runners on first and second and no outs, but that situation quickly changed as Warsaw third baseman Berto Nunez turned turned a double play by tagging a runner heading to third and quickly tossing the ball to Knepper at first base. DeGeeter struck out the last batter of the inning, sending Warsaw to back to the plate.
In the top of the sixth frame, Sean Alderfer hit a two-out double to left-center to start a Tiger rally. LaFollette reached base on an error that scored Alderfer. Then LaFollete scored on a double down the first-base line by Ryan DeGeeter. A single by Knepper sent DeGeeter home and gave Warsaw a 7-4 advantage.
After a 1-2-3 sixth inning for the Eagles, the Tigers found themselves at the plate once again. This time, Berto Nunez walked to first and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Stork. Nunez scored on a single by Mark Sherman, and then Sherman stole second and scored on a single by Alderfer.
Going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Warsaw held a 9-4 lead. Another 1-2-3 inning by Columbia City gave Warsaw the sectional title.
"We played our hearts out," said DeGeeter. "Thing's didn't always go our way, but we fought through it and played 14 innings from the bottom of our hearts."
"This is a big victory for us," said Knepper. "It feels so good to play with this team, I really love these guys. We have a lot of fun together one the field and off the field."
Agaisnt the Eagles, Warsaw pounded out 10 hits. DeGeeter led the Tiger bats with a home run and a double, while Knepper and Alderfer both had one double and two singles. LaFollette, Smith and Sherman had one hit each.
"This is great," said Nunez. "This is our first sectional championship, and it makes all the hard work of the last three years pay off. The feeling is hard to explain, I'm just speechless right now."
The win improves Warsaw's record to 25-4-1. The Tigers advance to the Kokomo Regional Saturday where they will play No. 5 McCutcheon in the opening game of the regional.
"It feels great," said Shepherd. "These kids have worked hard. We didn't play our best tonight, but we never let go of the rope until we got it done. It took a lot of guys to get it done tonight, and I am so proud of this team."
DEKALB BASEBALL SECTIONAL
Semifinal Round
WARSAW 8, CARROLL 0
Warsaw 103 201 1 - 8 11 1
Carroll 000 000 0 - 0 1 6
Warsaw AB R H RBI
Alderfer ss 4 2 1 0
LaFollette cf 3 2 2 0
DeGeeter p 4 1 2 2
Conrad pr 0 0 0 0
Knepper 1b 4 1 1 1
Smith rf 3 0 2 1
Nunez 3b 3 1 1 0
O'Neill pr 0 0 0 0
Stork c 4 0 2 1
Foster pr 0 0 0 0
Sharp 2b 3 0 0 0
Sherman lf 3 1 0 0
Totals 31 8 11 5
Carroll AB R H RBI
Diller cf 3 0 0 0
Weaver 2b 3 0 1 0
Schlichter 3b 2 0 0 0
Glassley ss 3 0 0 0
Emerson 1b 2 0 0 0
Crooks c 2 0 0 0
Farrell lf 3 0 0 0
Shippy p 2 0 0 0
Scheele rf 1 0 0 0
Totals 21 0 1 0
LOB - Warsaw 7, Carroll 5. DP -ÊWarsaw 0, Carroll 2. 2B -ÊLaFollette 1, Smith 1, Nunez 1. SB -Ênone. CS -ÊFoster, Weaver. HB -ÊSchlichter.
IP R ER H BB SO
Warsaw
DeGeeter, W 7 0 0 1 4 12
Carroll
Shippy, L 2.2 4 0 5 1 1
Glassley 0.2 2 1 2 1 0
Schlichter 3.2 2 2 4 2 2
HB -ÊDeGeeter 1.
Championship Game
WARSAW 9, COLUMBIA CITY 4
Warsaw 202 003 2 - 9 10 2
Col. City 021 100 0 - 4 5 3
Warsaw AB R H RBI
Alderfer ss 4 2 3 1
LaFollette p 4 3 1 0
DeGeeter lf 3 1 2 3
Stouder pr 0 1 0 0
Knepper 1b 4 0 3 2
Conrad pr 0 0 0 0
Smith cf 4 0 1 1
Nunez 3b 3 1 0 0
Stork c 2 0 0 0
O'Neill pr 0 0 0 0
Sharp 2b 4 0 0 0
Sherman rf 3 1 1 1
Griepentrog p 1 0 0 0
Totals 32 9 11 8
Col. City AB R H RBI
Baker 2b 3 0 1 1
Lowen c 3 0 0 0
Bireley 1b 4 0 0 0
King cf 3 0 0 0
Denihan dh 3 1 2 0
Harver pr 0 0 0 0
Smith 3b 2 0 0 0
Downing lf 2 1 1 1
Rohrer rf 2 1 0 0
Preston ss 3 1 1 1
Totals 25 4 5 3
LOB -ÊWarsaw 9, Columbia City 6. DP -ÊWarsaw 1, Columbia City 1. 2B -ÊAlderfer 1, DeGeeter 1, Knepper 1. HR - DeGeeter, Preston. SB -ÊSherman. Sac - Stork.
IP R ER H BB SO
Warsaw
LaFollette 1 2 2 1 4 2
Griepentrog 3 2 2 4 2 1
DeGeeter, W 3 0 0 0 0 3
Col. City
Lehman 1 2 2 2 2 1
Smith 3 2 2 4 2 2
Bireley, L 3 5 2 5 1 4 [[In-content Ad]]