Tigers Outlast NorthWood 2-1
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NAPPANEE -ÊIn the big leagues, a baseball game normally lasts nine innings. However, high school games are usually slated for only seven.
Wednesday night in Nappanee, NorthWood and Warsaw decided to play like the big boys and went a full nine innings before the game was finally decided.
After all was said and done, the Tigers came out on top 2-1 to improve to 7-2 in Northern Lakes Conference play, but the win did not come easily for Warsaw.
Mike Barger of Warsaw and Jesse Hoover of NorthWood were the stars of the show for most of the game, putting on a pitching performance of rare caliber. In the first three innings, Hoover struck out five Tiger batters and allowed just two men to reach base, one on a single and one on an error. Barger fanned one Panther and did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the third.
"This was a great pitching game," said NorthWood coach Doug Gerber.
Warsaw broke the 0-0 stalemate in the top of the fourth when Brooks Stogsdill reached first on a walk. He moved to second when Steve Siebenmorgen was hit by a pitch. A Craig Lankford single sent Stogsdill across the plate for the first run of the game. Warsaw was unable to score again in the inning and took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning.
However, that lead was short-lived as NorthWood fought back in the bottom of the fourth. Anthony Sanders led off with a double, and Josh Snyder followed that with an RBI single to tie the score at 1-1. But the Panthers could not produce more than one run, and the battle continued.
Then the pitchers took the mound to square off again. Over the next four innings, Hoover fanned four batters and allowed just one hit, while Barger gave up no hits.
After playing eight innings of baseball with just two errors, NorthWood started the ninth frame by committing an error that allowed Siebenmorgen to reach first base. Then Trent Golden took Siebenmorgen's spot on the basepath and stole second base. Golden reached third when the attempt to gun him out at second rolled into centerfield.
The Tigers had a man on third with no outs, but NorthWood was not about to give in. Lankford popped up to the catcher and Barger struck out to put the Tigers in a dire situation. Top of the ninth, runner on third with two outs.
Enter Zach Nelson, who has struggled at the plate much of the season. Nelson sent a single to center and knocked in Golden to put the Tigers up 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth.
"I am very happy for Zach Nelson," said Warsaw coach Will Shepherd. "He has struggled offensively, and nobody came up bigger than he did with a two-out clutch hit."
But the game was not finished. Much like the top of the ninth, the bottom half of the inning started with an error. Matt Sitek reached first on an error by the shortstop and then moved to second on a Warsaw passed ball. Sitek then moved to third on another Warsaw error.
Deja vu? NorthWood had a runner on third with no outs in the bottom of the ninth with a 2-1 score.
However, the scenario did not play out as well for the Panthers as it did for the Tigers. Sitek was thrown out on a fielder's choice hit by Hoover. Hoover was then picked off at first by Adam Augustine, and Brandon Culp grounded out to end the game.
"We stayed aggressive," said Gerber. "We made some mistakes right there at the end. We had some opportunities early with people on base, but we did not take advantage of it."
Augustine picked up the win for the Tigers, but Barger threw the majority of the game, allowing just one run with three hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
"Barger did it again," said Shepherd. "He was throwing strikes and got the job done. Adam Augustine bounced back after a tough game Monday. It was a big pitching game."
Hoover went the distance for the Panthers, striking out 10, scattering six hits and allowing just one earned run.
"Jesse has improved a great deal from where he was last year," said Gerber. "He had a streak of wildness, but this year he spent time in the weight room and is much stronger than he was last year. He is throwing harder than last year without as much effort. He also has a lot better ball control than in the past."
Warsaw improves to 10-7 on the season and 7-2 in the NLC, while NorthWood falls to 10-8 and 3-6 in NLC play. Warsaw travels to Northridge for a game at 4:45 p.m. Friday, while NorthWood travels to Elkhart Memorial for an 11 a.m. Saturday matchup.
WARSAW 2, NORTHWOOD 1
9 innings
Warsaw 000 100 001 - 2 6 3
NorthWood 000 100 000 - 1 3 4
Warsaw AB R H RBI
Walmer ss 4 0 1 0
Martin 3b 4 0 0 0
Stogsdill lf 3 1 0 0
Siebenmorgen c 3 0 0 0
Golden pr 0 1 0 0
Koser cf 0 0 0 0
Lankford dh 4 0 2 1
Himes pr 0 0 0 0
Barger p 4 0 1 0
Nelson 1b 4 0 1 1
Milton pr 0 0 0 0
Augustine rf 3 0 1 0
Richardson ph 0 0 0 0
Grubbs 2b 4 0 0 0
Totals 33 2 6 2
NorthWood AB R H RBI
Doty ss 3 0 0 0
Sanders 3b 3 1 1 0
Snyder 2b 4 0 1 1
Sitek cf 3 0 0 0
Hoover p 4 0 0 0
Culp c 3 0 0 0
Hill pr 0 0 0 0
C. Flickinger 1b 3 0 0 0
Fink lf 2 0 1 0
E. Flickinger 2 0 1 0
Totals 27 1 3 1
E -ÊSanders 2, Doty, Snyder, Walmer, Siebenmorgen, Martin. LOB -ÊWarsaw 6, NorthWood 4. 2B -ÊSanders. SB -ÊSitek, Golden. CS -ÊWalmer, Richardson, Hoover. Sac -ÊSanders, E. Flickinger. DP -ÊWarsaw 1, NorthWood 0.
IP R ER H BB K
Warsaw
Barger 8 1 1 3 3 2
Augustine, W 1 0 0 0 0 0
NorthWood
Hoover, L 9 2 1 6 2 10
HB -ÊSiebenmorgen (by Hoover), Culp (by Barger). PB -ÊSiebenmorgen. IBB -ÊDoty (by Barger). [[In-content Ad]]
NAPPANEE -ÊIn the big leagues, a baseball game normally lasts nine innings. However, high school games are usually slated for only seven.
Wednesday night in Nappanee, NorthWood and Warsaw decided to play like the big boys and went a full nine innings before the game was finally decided.
After all was said and done, the Tigers came out on top 2-1 to improve to 7-2 in Northern Lakes Conference play, but the win did not come easily for Warsaw.
Mike Barger of Warsaw and Jesse Hoover of NorthWood were the stars of the show for most of the game, putting on a pitching performance of rare caliber. In the first three innings, Hoover struck out five Tiger batters and allowed just two men to reach base, one on a single and one on an error. Barger fanned one Panther and did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the third.
"This was a great pitching game," said NorthWood coach Doug Gerber.
Warsaw broke the 0-0 stalemate in the top of the fourth when Brooks Stogsdill reached first on a walk. He moved to second when Steve Siebenmorgen was hit by a pitch. A Craig Lankford single sent Stogsdill across the plate for the first run of the game. Warsaw was unable to score again in the inning and took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning.
However, that lead was short-lived as NorthWood fought back in the bottom of the fourth. Anthony Sanders led off with a double, and Josh Snyder followed that with an RBI single to tie the score at 1-1. But the Panthers could not produce more than one run, and the battle continued.
Then the pitchers took the mound to square off again. Over the next four innings, Hoover fanned four batters and allowed just one hit, while Barger gave up no hits.
After playing eight innings of baseball with just two errors, NorthWood started the ninth frame by committing an error that allowed Siebenmorgen to reach first base. Then Trent Golden took Siebenmorgen's spot on the basepath and stole second base. Golden reached third when the attempt to gun him out at second rolled into centerfield.
The Tigers had a man on third with no outs, but NorthWood was not about to give in. Lankford popped up to the catcher and Barger struck out to put the Tigers in a dire situation. Top of the ninth, runner on third with two outs.
Enter Zach Nelson, who has struggled at the plate much of the season. Nelson sent a single to center and knocked in Golden to put the Tigers up 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth.
"I am very happy for Zach Nelson," said Warsaw coach Will Shepherd. "He has struggled offensively, and nobody came up bigger than he did with a two-out clutch hit."
But the game was not finished. Much like the top of the ninth, the bottom half of the inning started with an error. Matt Sitek reached first on an error by the shortstop and then moved to second on a Warsaw passed ball. Sitek then moved to third on another Warsaw error.
Deja vu? NorthWood had a runner on third with no outs in the bottom of the ninth with a 2-1 score.
However, the scenario did not play out as well for the Panthers as it did for the Tigers. Sitek was thrown out on a fielder's choice hit by Hoover. Hoover was then picked off at first by Adam Augustine, and Brandon Culp grounded out to end the game.
"We stayed aggressive," said Gerber. "We made some mistakes right there at the end. We had some opportunities early with people on base, but we did not take advantage of it."
Augustine picked up the win for the Tigers, but Barger threw the majority of the game, allowing just one run with three hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
"Barger did it again," said Shepherd. "He was throwing strikes and got the job done. Adam Augustine bounced back after a tough game Monday. It was a big pitching game."
Hoover went the distance for the Panthers, striking out 10, scattering six hits and allowing just one earned run.
"Jesse has improved a great deal from where he was last year," said Gerber. "He had a streak of wildness, but this year he spent time in the weight room and is much stronger than he was last year. He is throwing harder than last year without as much effort. He also has a lot better ball control than in the past."
Warsaw improves to 10-7 on the season and 7-2 in the NLC, while NorthWood falls to 10-8 and 3-6 in NLC play. Warsaw travels to Northridge for a game at 4:45 p.m. Friday, while NorthWood travels to Elkhart Memorial for an 11 a.m. Saturday matchup.
WARSAW 2, NORTHWOOD 1
9 innings
Warsaw 000 100 001 - 2 6 3
NorthWood 000 100 000 - 1 3 4
Warsaw AB R H RBI
Walmer ss 4 0 1 0
Martin 3b 4 0 0 0
Stogsdill lf 3 1 0 0
Siebenmorgen c 3 0 0 0
Golden pr 0 1 0 0
Koser cf 0 0 0 0
Lankford dh 4 0 2 1
Himes pr 0 0 0 0
Barger p 4 0 1 0
Nelson 1b 4 0 1 1
Milton pr 0 0 0 0
Augustine rf 3 0 1 0
Richardson ph 0 0 0 0
Grubbs 2b 4 0 0 0
Totals 33 2 6 2
NorthWood AB R H RBI
Doty ss 3 0 0 0
Sanders 3b 3 1 1 0
Snyder 2b 4 0 1 1
Sitek cf 3 0 0 0
Hoover p 4 0 0 0
Culp c 3 0 0 0
Hill pr 0 0 0 0
C. Flickinger 1b 3 0 0 0
Fink lf 2 0 1 0
E. Flickinger 2 0 1 0
Totals 27 1 3 1
E -ÊSanders 2, Doty, Snyder, Walmer, Siebenmorgen, Martin. LOB -ÊWarsaw 6, NorthWood 4. 2B -ÊSanders. SB -ÊSitek, Golden. CS -ÊWalmer, Richardson, Hoover. Sac -ÊSanders, E. Flickinger. DP -ÊWarsaw 1, NorthWood 0.
IP R ER H BB K
Warsaw
Barger 8 1 1 3 3 2
Augustine, W 1 0 0 0 0 0
NorthWood
Hoover, L 9 2 1 6 2 10
HB -ÊSiebenmorgen (by Hoover), Culp (by Barger). PB -ÊSiebenmorgen. IBB -ÊDoty (by Barger). [[In-content Ad]]