Solid Bats Make Up For Shaky Gloves In Tiger Win
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Warsaw head baseball coach Will Shepherd has no delusions about what his team is.
"Offensively, I don't worry about this team," said Shepherd. "Defensively, we've struggled."
The Tigers' offense cranked out two home runs and pitcher Kyler Mylin was steady to make up for four errors in a 5-4 comeback win over Northern Lakes Conference combatant Concord Friday afternoon at Tiger Field.
Concord gained its first lead of the game in the sixth inning after Brandon Tepe reached on a throwing error by Mark Sudhoff. Jeremy Howard then reached on a successful sacrifice bunt. After Tepe scored on an error, Howard was brought home when Craig Downs perfectly executed a suicide squeeze bunt.
Unfazed, the Tigers came right back and answered.
Tyler Stouder led off the bottom of the sixth inning, his team down 4-2, with a majestic 360-foot home run to right-center field.
After Ryan Cox flied out deep to left field, Derek Freds made up for an error earlier in the game with a solo shot to left-center field, tying the game at 4-4.
Sudhoff reached on a single and advanced into scoring position on a stolen base then rolled into third after Zach Roop overshot Calvin Frey on the throw.
Sudhoff, a 6-foot-2 junior, scored what turned out to be the winning run after a passed ball slipped through the wickets of Roop.
Mylin mowed down the Minutemen in order in the top of the seventh to move his record to 2-0. Mylin allowed four runs, just one earned, four hits, one walk and struck out six in seven innings.
"He's a battler," said Shepherd of his pitcher. "He did a great job of not caving in. The main thing is he gave his team a chance to win. He works quick, and I like that. His defense likes it, too."
The seven-inning contest took a shade under an hour and a half to complete.
Warsaw jumped quickly down the throat of Minutemen pitcher senior Pat Doherty.
Doherty came into Friday's contest with a 0.47 ERA.
Mylin, Warsaw's leadoff hitter, dribbled a single to left field to start the game. Stouder followed with a single of his own up the middle of Concord's defense.
After a Cox pop out, third baseman Freds walked to load the bases for Warsaw.
Shortstop Sudhoff drove home the first run of the game when he sent a deep sacrifice fly to bring Mylin home.
First baseman Jordan Williams then brought Stouder home with a double that rolled to the center-field fence.
Doherty finished the inning giving up two hits and two earned runs. He entered the game against Warsaw having given up just four hits and one earned run in 15 innings.
As quickly as the Tigers jumped out a 2-0 lead, their defense gave it back.
Mylin opened the top of the second inning with a walk to Concord's center fielder Tepe.
"That's really the only mistake he made tonight, was that walk to Tepe," said Shepherd after the game.
And that walk came back to hurt Mylin.
After retiring Howard and Roop, Concord's Downs sent a ball to Freds at third base.
Freds bobbled the ball and his throw sailed past Williams at first base. Tepe, who was going on a hit and run, scored to cut Warsaw's lead to 2-1 in the top of the second.
Travis Eggeman then brought Downs home with a seeing-eye single to left field.
Mylin settled down and struck out Eric Jackowiak to end the Minutemen rally.
Both Mylin and Doherty cruised for the next few innings.
Doherty faced the minimum amount of batters between the second and fifth innings. Another error had Concord threatening with the bases loaded in the third inning but Kyle Conrad scooped up a Howard grounder and stepped on second base to end the inning.
Conrad came in to play second base for Bryan Brumbaugh. Brumbaugh reached in the second inning on an error and stole second base with Brent Chapman at bat. Chapman swung at a high, outside pitch forcing Concord catcher Roop to double clutch his attempt to throw out Brumbaugh.
Roop airmailed the ball into center field allowing the speedy Brumbaugh to round third and head home. Tepe threw a laser from center field to his cut-off man, Howard. Howard turned and threw to Roop as Brumbaugh charged. Warsaw's junior second baseman pulled a Pete Rose to Roop's Ray Fosse as he collided with the catcher.
Unlike Fosse, Roop was able to hang on to the ball, but, according to IHSAA rules, Brumbaugh would have been out regardless.
Shepherd then pulled Brumbaugh and replaced him with Conrad allowing Brumbaugh to avoid an ejection, which would result in a one-game suspension.
That sort of offensive intensity is what Shepherd expects from his kids.
"We have a group of kids who really enjoy the offensive end of this game," said Shepherd.
But the coach knows to be taken seriously in the conference the Tigers have to step it up on defense.
"We're still working on defense. Ninety-five percent of our practice is defense. And until we can improve there we're going to be a wild card in the NLC and nobody will say Warsaw is a scary team," said Shepherd.
The win moves Warsaw's record to 4-5 overall and 3-1 in the NLC.
That mark has the Tigers right in the conference hunt whether teams have Warsaw on their radar or not.
"This was a big win for us," said Shepherd. "If you have two losses in the NLC it's going to be tough to win it. We still have a long baseball season but I'm glad we got this win to keep us in the hunt."
The Tigers are in action today at 10 a.m. in a doubleheader with Bishop Luers.
WARSAW 5, CONCORD 4
Concord
AB R H RBI
Frey 4 0 0 0
Selner 4 0 1 0
Doherty 3 0 0 0
Tepe 1 2 1 0
Howard 2 1 1 0
Roop 3 0 0 1
Downs 2 1 0 1
Eggeman 3 0 1 0
Jackowiak 3 0 0 0
Totals 25 4 4 2
Warsaw
AB R H RBI
Mylin 3 1 1 0
Stouder 3 2 2 1
Cox 3 0 0 0
Freds 2 1 1 1
Sudhoff 2 1 2 1
Williams 3 0 1 1
Lancaster 3 0 0 1
Brumbaugh 0 0 0 0
Conrad 1 0 0 0
Chapman 2 0 0 0
Totals 22 5 7 5
Concord (7-3-1, 3-2) 020 002 0 - 4 4 4
Warsaw (#4-5, 3-1) 200 003 X - 5 7 4
2B - Williams. HR - Stouder, Freds. LOB - Concord 4, Warsaw 2
IP H R ER BB HB K
Concord
Doherty (L) 6.0 7 5 5 1 0 5
Warsaw
Mylin (W) 7.0 4 4 1 1 1 6 [[In-content Ad]]
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Warsaw head baseball coach Will Shepherd has no delusions about what his team is.
"Offensively, I don't worry about this team," said Shepherd. "Defensively, we've struggled."
The Tigers' offense cranked out two home runs and pitcher Kyler Mylin was steady to make up for four errors in a 5-4 comeback win over Northern Lakes Conference combatant Concord Friday afternoon at Tiger Field.
Concord gained its first lead of the game in the sixth inning after Brandon Tepe reached on a throwing error by Mark Sudhoff. Jeremy Howard then reached on a successful sacrifice bunt. After Tepe scored on an error, Howard was brought home when Craig Downs perfectly executed a suicide squeeze bunt.
Unfazed, the Tigers came right back and answered.
Tyler Stouder led off the bottom of the sixth inning, his team down 4-2, with a majestic 360-foot home run to right-center field.
After Ryan Cox flied out deep to left field, Derek Freds made up for an error earlier in the game with a solo shot to left-center field, tying the game at 4-4.
Sudhoff reached on a single and advanced into scoring position on a stolen base then rolled into third after Zach Roop overshot Calvin Frey on the throw.
Sudhoff, a 6-foot-2 junior, scored what turned out to be the winning run after a passed ball slipped through the wickets of Roop.
Mylin mowed down the Minutemen in order in the top of the seventh to move his record to 2-0. Mylin allowed four runs, just one earned, four hits, one walk and struck out six in seven innings.
"He's a battler," said Shepherd of his pitcher. "He did a great job of not caving in. The main thing is he gave his team a chance to win. He works quick, and I like that. His defense likes it, too."
The seven-inning contest took a shade under an hour and a half to complete.
Warsaw jumped quickly down the throat of Minutemen pitcher senior Pat Doherty.
Doherty came into Friday's contest with a 0.47 ERA.
Mylin, Warsaw's leadoff hitter, dribbled a single to left field to start the game. Stouder followed with a single of his own up the middle of Concord's defense.
After a Cox pop out, third baseman Freds walked to load the bases for Warsaw.
Shortstop Sudhoff drove home the first run of the game when he sent a deep sacrifice fly to bring Mylin home.
First baseman Jordan Williams then brought Stouder home with a double that rolled to the center-field fence.
Doherty finished the inning giving up two hits and two earned runs. He entered the game against Warsaw having given up just four hits and one earned run in 15 innings.
As quickly as the Tigers jumped out a 2-0 lead, their defense gave it back.
Mylin opened the top of the second inning with a walk to Concord's center fielder Tepe.
"That's really the only mistake he made tonight, was that walk to Tepe," said Shepherd after the game.
And that walk came back to hurt Mylin.
After retiring Howard and Roop, Concord's Downs sent a ball to Freds at third base.
Freds bobbled the ball and his throw sailed past Williams at first base. Tepe, who was going on a hit and run, scored to cut Warsaw's lead to 2-1 in the top of the second.
Travis Eggeman then brought Downs home with a seeing-eye single to left field.
Mylin settled down and struck out Eric Jackowiak to end the Minutemen rally.
Both Mylin and Doherty cruised for the next few innings.
Doherty faced the minimum amount of batters between the second and fifth innings. Another error had Concord threatening with the bases loaded in the third inning but Kyle Conrad scooped up a Howard grounder and stepped on second base to end the inning.
Conrad came in to play second base for Bryan Brumbaugh. Brumbaugh reached in the second inning on an error and stole second base with Brent Chapman at bat. Chapman swung at a high, outside pitch forcing Concord catcher Roop to double clutch his attempt to throw out Brumbaugh.
Roop airmailed the ball into center field allowing the speedy Brumbaugh to round third and head home. Tepe threw a laser from center field to his cut-off man, Howard. Howard turned and threw to Roop as Brumbaugh charged. Warsaw's junior second baseman pulled a Pete Rose to Roop's Ray Fosse as he collided with the catcher.
Unlike Fosse, Roop was able to hang on to the ball, but, according to IHSAA rules, Brumbaugh would have been out regardless.
Shepherd then pulled Brumbaugh and replaced him with Conrad allowing Brumbaugh to avoid an ejection, which would result in a one-game suspension.
That sort of offensive intensity is what Shepherd expects from his kids.
"We have a group of kids who really enjoy the offensive end of this game," said Shepherd.
But the coach knows to be taken seriously in the conference the Tigers have to step it up on defense.
"We're still working on defense. Ninety-five percent of our practice is defense. And until we can improve there we're going to be a wild card in the NLC and nobody will say Warsaw is a scary team," said Shepherd.
The win moves Warsaw's record to 4-5 overall and 3-1 in the NLC.
That mark has the Tigers right in the conference hunt whether teams have Warsaw on their radar or not.
"This was a big win for us," said Shepherd. "If you have two losses in the NLC it's going to be tough to win it. We still have a long baseball season but I'm glad we got this win to keep us in the hunt."
The Tigers are in action today at 10 a.m. in a doubleheader with Bishop Luers.
WARSAW 5, CONCORD 4
Concord
AB R H RBI
Frey 4 0 0 0
Selner 4 0 1 0
Doherty 3 0 0 0
Tepe 1 2 1 0
Howard 2 1 1 0
Roop 3 0 0 1
Downs 2 1 0 1
Eggeman 3 0 1 0
Jackowiak 3 0 0 0
Totals 25 4 4 2
Warsaw
AB R H RBI
Mylin 3 1 1 0
Stouder 3 2 2 1
Cox 3 0 0 0
Freds 2 1 1 1
Sudhoff 2 1 2 1
Williams 3 0 1 1
Lancaster 3 0 0 1
Brumbaugh 0 0 0 0
Conrad 1 0 0 0
Chapman 2 0 0 0
Totals 22 5 7 5
Concord (7-3-1, 3-2) 020 002 0 - 4 4 4
Warsaw (#4-5, 3-1) 200 003 X - 5 7 4
2B - Williams. HR - Stouder, Freds. LOB - Concord 4, Warsaw 2
IP H R ER BB HB K
Concord
Doherty (L) 6.0 7 5 5 1 0 5
Warsaw
Mylin (W) 7.0 4 4 1 1 1 6 [[In-content Ad]]