Tiger Baseball Team Falls Short
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Warsaw Community High School baseball coach Mike Hepler probably felt a little different after Wednesday's semifinal at Elkhart Memorial, as Goshen scored all of its runs - four in the first inning and three more in the seventh - with two outs en route to a 7-5 win over the Tigers.[[In-content Ad]]"We knew coming in they had a good hitting ball club and were capable of those kind of things," Hepler said of the Redskins coming through in the clutch when it looked like the Tigers were about to get out of an inning unscathed. "In the seventh inning, we got the first two guys out, and there was Goshen getting the job done again."
After Warsaw senior Daniel Conrad belted a three-run homer in the sixth inning to tie the game at 4-4, it took some seventh-inning heroics by the Redskins to advance to Friday's 4:30 p.m. sectional championship game against county rival Elkhart Central.
With two outs and teammates Jordan Short and Jake Drudge on first and second base, respectively, Goshen junior Brett Hunter bounced a hit off home plate that rolled just in front of Warsaw senior catch Braden Kline.
Kline couldn't field the ball cleanly, and what looked like a routine out turned into an error and a bases-loaded situation.
Things only got worse for the Tigers, as Goshen's Ethan Hussey stepped to the plate and ripped a ball into leftfield that scored three runs.
Hussey was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple, but the damage was already done.
The Tigers scored a run in the fifth inning and later had Chase Byerly and David Blakemore, who was pinch running for Josh Witt, on second and third with two outs when Blayke Kaufman grounded out to end the game and Warsaw's season.
"My hats off to Coach (Hal) Farmwald," said Hepler, whose team finished the season with a 16-12 record. "Goshen did a nice job of making plays when the game was on the line. They did a nice job of making plays."
With two outs in the first inning, Goshen put together a string of five consecutive hits, scoring four runs with two outs to gain early control of the game.
After giving up six hits and four runs in the first inning, Witt settled down on the mound for the Tigers, giving up just one more hit before he was replaced by Byerly with two outs in the fourth inning.
Byerly got Drudge to ground out, ending the fourth inning, and then retired the Redskins' first three batters in both the fifth and sixth innings.
"Chase had a lot better stuff tonight," Hepler said of his junior pitcher, who started Monday's sectional win over Northridge and battled not only the Raiders' tough lineup but also the heat. "I'm proud of the guys for the way they battled when things weren't going our way early. I'm proud of our three seniors."
Warsaw will lose Conrad, Kline and Jeff Himes to graduation.
Conrad led the Tiger hitters Wednesday with a double and the three-run homer that tied the game.
Himes had three singles for the Tigers, while Kline drew three walks.
Hunter and Hussey had doubles for the Redskins, who improved to 14-12 heading into Friday's sectional final against Elkhart Central, which beat Elkhart Memorial 4-0 in Wednesday's second semifinal game.
Brandon Farver was credited with the win on the mound for Goshen, upping his pitching record to 4-2 this season, while Byerly was saddled with the loss and fell to 7-2.
"It's disappointing because I felt like we had momentum," said Hepler, whose team scored nine runs in the fifth inning Monday to beat a Northridge team had already beat Warsaw twice and entered sectional play with a 24-3 record. "We didn't play poorly, we had a good fifth inning, and then Daniel hit that home run to tie the game. We had trouble getting that third out, and Goshen made plays when the game was on the line."
GOSHEN 7, WARSAW 5
G 400 000 3 - 7
W 000 013 1 - 5
Brandon Farver (W, 4-2), Jeremy Jordan (7), Jake Drudge (7-S) and Jake Sevison; Josh Witt, Chase Byerly (4-L, 7-2) and Braden Kline
2B - Brett Hunter (G), Ethan Hussey (G), Daniel Conrad (W)
HR - Conrad (W)
Record: Goshen 14-12, Warsaw 16-12
Warsaw Community High School baseball coach Mike Hepler probably felt a little different after Wednesday's semifinal at Elkhart Memorial, as Goshen scored all of its runs - four in the first inning and three more in the seventh - with two outs en route to a 7-5 win over the Tigers.[[In-content Ad]]"We knew coming in they had a good hitting ball club and were capable of those kind of things," Hepler said of the Redskins coming through in the clutch when it looked like the Tigers were about to get out of an inning unscathed. "In the seventh inning, we got the first two guys out, and there was Goshen getting the job done again."
After Warsaw senior Daniel Conrad belted a three-run homer in the sixth inning to tie the game at 4-4, it took some seventh-inning heroics by the Redskins to advance to Friday's 4:30 p.m. sectional championship game against county rival Elkhart Central.
With two outs and teammates Jordan Short and Jake Drudge on first and second base, respectively, Goshen junior Brett Hunter bounced a hit off home plate that rolled just in front of Warsaw senior catch Braden Kline.
Kline couldn't field the ball cleanly, and what looked like a routine out turned into an error and a bases-loaded situation.
Things only got worse for the Tigers, as Goshen's Ethan Hussey stepped to the plate and ripped a ball into leftfield that scored three runs.
Hussey was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple, but the damage was already done.
The Tigers scored a run in the fifth inning and later had Chase Byerly and David Blakemore, who was pinch running for Josh Witt, on second and third with two outs when Blayke Kaufman grounded out to end the game and Warsaw's season.
"My hats off to Coach (Hal) Farmwald," said Hepler, whose team finished the season with a 16-12 record. "Goshen did a nice job of making plays when the game was on the line. They did a nice job of making plays."
With two outs in the first inning, Goshen put together a string of five consecutive hits, scoring four runs with two outs to gain early control of the game.
After giving up six hits and four runs in the first inning, Witt settled down on the mound for the Tigers, giving up just one more hit before he was replaced by Byerly with two outs in the fourth inning.
Byerly got Drudge to ground out, ending the fourth inning, and then retired the Redskins' first three batters in both the fifth and sixth innings.
"Chase had a lot better stuff tonight," Hepler said of his junior pitcher, who started Monday's sectional win over Northridge and battled not only the Raiders' tough lineup but also the heat. "I'm proud of the guys for the way they battled when things weren't going our way early. I'm proud of our three seniors."
Warsaw will lose Conrad, Kline and Jeff Himes to graduation.
Conrad led the Tiger hitters Wednesday with a double and the three-run homer that tied the game.
Himes had three singles for the Tigers, while Kline drew three walks.
Hunter and Hussey had doubles for the Redskins, who improved to 14-12 heading into Friday's sectional final against Elkhart Central, which beat Elkhart Memorial 4-0 in Wednesday's second semifinal game.
Brandon Farver was credited with the win on the mound for Goshen, upping his pitching record to 4-2 this season, while Byerly was saddled with the loss and fell to 7-2.
"It's disappointing because I felt like we had momentum," said Hepler, whose team scored nine runs in the fifth inning Monday to beat a Northridge team had already beat Warsaw twice and entered sectional play with a 24-3 record. "We didn't play poorly, we had a good fifth inning, and then Daniel hit that home run to tie the game. We had trouble getting that third out, and Goshen made plays when the game was on the line."
GOSHEN 7, WARSAW 5
G 400 000 3 - 7
W 000 013 1 - 5
Brandon Farver (W, 4-2), Jeremy Jordan (7), Jake Drudge (7-S) and Jake Sevison; Josh Witt, Chase Byerly (4-L, 7-2) and Braden Kline
2B - Brett Hunter (G), Ethan Hussey (G), Daniel Conrad (W)
HR - Conrad (W)
Record: Goshen 14-12, Warsaw 16-12
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