Squires Fall To Wawasee Baseball Team
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NORTH MANCHESTER - For the first three innings of Thursday afternoon's game between Manchester and Wawasee, the tone was set by the pitching of the Squires' Joe Egner and some clutch hitting.
When Manchester head coach Jack Rupley took Egner out to save him for Saturday's doubleheader against Maconaquah, Manchester struggled both on the mound and in the field as Wawasee capitalized to gain a 12-8 win in six innings. The game was called due to darkness.
Egner struck out five of the last six Warriors he faced before exiting and his team repaid him with a six-run bottom of the third. He left the game with seven strikeouts while allowing just three hits and no walks.
"I thought he could improve from last year. He really came on late last year and did well. He's continued it into this season," said Manchester head coach Jack Rupley of Egner.
Tristan Leonhard got Manchester's big third inning started when he was hit by a Tyler Shell pitch then advanced on a fielder's choice.
Jimmy Preston drove Leonhard home on a frozen rope to center field, then was brought home by Nick Poe. Charles Miller plated both Egner and Poe to give the Squires a 4-1 lead. Brian Runkel and Jason Dale scored for the Squires before the inning was over.
As quickly as Manchester built a 6-1 lead, Wawasee just as quickly took it back.
The Warriors were sparked by a three-run triple off the bat of senior Ben Champoux. Champoux crushed a ball down the right field line scoring Heath Shock, Casey Spickelmier and Ethan Drent.
Ryan Beer then scored Champoux on a single.
When Egner exited the game and was replaced by younger, maturing pitchers, coupled with a gaggle of new faces in the field, Wawasee was able to take advantage with its starting lineup intact.
Manchester fought back in the bottom of the fourth to take a slim 8-7 lead, but saw it slip away when Ethan Drent hit an RBI single and Andy Hoover scored on two consecutive fielding errors in the top of the fifth inning.
Wawasee tacked on three more runs in the sixth that were highlighted by an RBI single by Ryan Christner.
Christner, the Warriors' catcher, was solid both behind the plate and at it. He finished 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Drent finished 3 for 5 with an RBI and a run from the second base position.
Wawasee head coach Mike Headman was pleased with how his team was able to put the ball in play and take advantage of several Manchester errors.
"We tell the guys that if they put the ball in play good things will happen," said Headman.
Manchester was led by Poe, who finished 2 for 3 on the day with two runs and two RBI. Cameron Miller was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI.
Egner was as solid at the plate as he was toeing the rubber. He went 3 for 4 on the day with two runs scored.
"We did a good job of getting the bat on the ball," said Rupley who made a point of going deep into his bench.
"I'm just trying to get everyone a little time early. So that will help later in the season," said Rupley.
Wawasee, 2-0 on the season, is back in action April 9 at Fairfield for a 9 a.m. doubleheader.
Manchester, 0-1 so far, kicks off a doubleheader at home against Maconaquah at 11 a.m.
WAWASEE 12, MANCHESTER 8 (6 Innings)
Wawasee
AB R H RBI
Drent 5 1 2 1
Dingledein 3 0 1 1
Champoux 5 1 1 3
Beer 4 2 2 1
Christner 3 2 2 0
Houver 2 2 1 0
Sommers 3 1 2 1
Spickelmier 1 0 0 0
Allen 2 1 1 1
Shock 2 1 0 0
A. Houver 2 1 1 1
Totals 32 12 13 9
Manchester
AB R H RBI
Helvey 3 0 0 0
Preston 4 1 1 1
Egner 4 2 3 0
Speicher 3 0 0 0
Poe 3 2 2 2
Miller 3 1 2 2
Runkel 2 1 1 1
Dale 3 0 0 1
Leonhard 1 1 0 0
Evans 1 0 0 0
M. Miller 1 0 0 0
Totals 28 8 9 7
Wawasee (2-0) 010 623 X - 12 13 2
Manchester (0-1) 006 200 X - 8 9 3
2B - Drent, C. Miller, Poe. 3B -ÊChampoux. HR - None.
IP H R ER BB HB SO
Wawasee
Shell 2.2 5 6 5 0 0 0
Shock 1.0 3 2 2 1 1 1
A. Hoover (W, 1-0) 2.1 1 0 0 1 1 3
Manchester
Egner 3.0 3 1 1 0 0 7
W. Miller (L, 0-1) 2.0 9 8 6 2 2 0
Preston 1 2 3 1 1 0 1 [[In-content Ad]]
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NORTH MANCHESTER - For the first three innings of Thursday afternoon's game between Manchester and Wawasee, the tone was set by the pitching of the Squires' Joe Egner and some clutch hitting.
When Manchester head coach Jack Rupley took Egner out to save him for Saturday's doubleheader against Maconaquah, Manchester struggled both on the mound and in the field as Wawasee capitalized to gain a 12-8 win in six innings. The game was called due to darkness.
Egner struck out five of the last six Warriors he faced before exiting and his team repaid him with a six-run bottom of the third. He left the game with seven strikeouts while allowing just three hits and no walks.
"I thought he could improve from last year. He really came on late last year and did well. He's continued it into this season," said Manchester head coach Jack Rupley of Egner.
Tristan Leonhard got Manchester's big third inning started when he was hit by a Tyler Shell pitch then advanced on a fielder's choice.
Jimmy Preston drove Leonhard home on a frozen rope to center field, then was brought home by Nick Poe. Charles Miller plated both Egner and Poe to give the Squires a 4-1 lead. Brian Runkel and Jason Dale scored for the Squires before the inning was over.
As quickly as Manchester built a 6-1 lead, Wawasee just as quickly took it back.
The Warriors were sparked by a three-run triple off the bat of senior Ben Champoux. Champoux crushed a ball down the right field line scoring Heath Shock, Casey Spickelmier and Ethan Drent.
Ryan Beer then scored Champoux on a single.
When Egner exited the game and was replaced by younger, maturing pitchers, coupled with a gaggle of new faces in the field, Wawasee was able to take advantage with its starting lineup intact.
Manchester fought back in the bottom of the fourth to take a slim 8-7 lead, but saw it slip away when Ethan Drent hit an RBI single and Andy Hoover scored on two consecutive fielding errors in the top of the fifth inning.
Wawasee tacked on three more runs in the sixth that were highlighted by an RBI single by Ryan Christner.
Christner, the Warriors' catcher, was solid both behind the plate and at it. He finished 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Drent finished 3 for 5 with an RBI and a run from the second base position.
Wawasee head coach Mike Headman was pleased with how his team was able to put the ball in play and take advantage of several Manchester errors.
"We tell the guys that if they put the ball in play good things will happen," said Headman.
Manchester was led by Poe, who finished 2 for 3 on the day with two runs and two RBI. Cameron Miller was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI.
Egner was as solid at the plate as he was toeing the rubber. He went 3 for 4 on the day with two runs scored.
"We did a good job of getting the bat on the ball," said Rupley who made a point of going deep into his bench.
"I'm just trying to get everyone a little time early. So that will help later in the season," said Rupley.
Wawasee, 2-0 on the season, is back in action April 9 at Fairfield for a 9 a.m. doubleheader.
Manchester, 0-1 so far, kicks off a doubleheader at home against Maconaquah at 11 a.m.
WAWASEE 12, MANCHESTER 8 (6 Innings)
Wawasee
AB R H RBI
Drent 5 1 2 1
Dingledein 3 0 1 1
Champoux 5 1 1 3
Beer 4 2 2 1
Christner 3 2 2 0
Houver 2 2 1 0
Sommers 3 1 2 1
Spickelmier 1 0 0 0
Allen 2 1 1 1
Shock 2 1 0 0
A. Houver 2 1 1 1
Totals 32 12 13 9
Manchester
AB R H RBI
Helvey 3 0 0 0
Preston 4 1 1 1
Egner 4 2 3 0
Speicher 3 0 0 0
Poe 3 2 2 2
Miller 3 1 2 2
Runkel 2 1 1 1
Dale 3 0 0 1
Leonhard 1 1 0 0
Evans 1 0 0 0
M. Miller 1 0 0 0
Totals 28 8 9 7
Wawasee (2-0) 010 623 X - 12 13 2
Manchester (0-1) 006 200 X - 8 9 3
2B - Drent, C. Miller, Poe. 3B -ÊChampoux. HR - None.
IP H R ER BB HB SO
Wawasee
Shell 2.2 5 6 5 0 0 0
Shock 1.0 3 2 2 1 1 1
A. Hoover (W, 1-0) 2.1 1 0 0 1 1 3
Manchester
Egner 3.0 3 1 1 0 0 7
W. Miller (L, 0-1) 2.0 9 8 6 2 2 0
Preston 1 2 3 1 1 0 1 [[In-content Ad]]