Tigers Sweep Conference Rival Plymouth
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
It was Warsaw's battery that powered the Tigers to a win Monday night.
Senior pitcher Matt Ransbottom threw a complete game three-hitter and sophomore catcher Braden Kline hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth that sparked a four-run inning to give Warsaw a 6-2 victory in Northern Lakes Conference baseball action Monday night against Plymouth.
Warsaw beat the Pilgrims earlier in the year in Plymouth 15-4. It's the first time Warsaw has swept Plymouth since 2003 when the Tigers went 14-0 in the NLC.
The Tigers struggled early against Plymouth pitcher Chad Clinton, who entered the contest with a 3-0 record and a 2.01 ERA in 24-1/3 innings pitched.
The Pilgrims jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning when Michael Brown took Ransbottom's first pitch deep over the left-field fence.
Warsaw finally answered in the fourth inning when shortstop Mark Sudhoff hit a line-drive solo homerun of his own that nearly took out Warsaw's scoreboard in left field.
"Mark Sudhoff's home run was big," said Warsaw coach Mike Hepler. "It sort of got us off the schneid."
The Tigers added another run in the fourth when Kline looped a single into center field that scored fellow sophomore Jordan Kistler.
Both of Kline's RBI came with two outs.
Plymouth tied things up in the sixth inning when Chad Clinton got things started with a single. Junior catcher Brent Corbett laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Clinton to second. After designated hitter Kirk Hinz was walked, Clinton advanced to third on a passed ball. First baseman Marc Adams then drove Clinton home on a fielder's choice.
Until Clinton connected on his sixth-inning single, Ransbottom retired 12 straight Pilgrims.
"I can't say enough about Matt Ransbottom," said Hepler. "He did a real nice job of getting the ball and throwing it. We talk to our pitchers about that pace, keeping pitchers on the rubber and throwing strikes."
Ransbottom, who will play for IPFW next season, allowed just three hits over seven innings and outside of Brown's home run didn't make a bad pitch.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander also was efficient as he threw just 78 pitches over seven full innings.
Ransbottom also was aided by some good defense as he sat just three batters down via the strikeout.
Centerfielder Kyler Mylin saved a certain RBI-double by Adam Morris as he chased down a deep drive to the warning track while wrapping himself into a pretzel in the process.
"I'm really pleased with our effort," said Hepler. "We made a lot of good plays and a few great plays including that catch Kyler (Mylin) made."
Kline's game-tying single in the sixth opened the floodgates for Warsaw as the Tigers put up a four-spot for some insurance.
After Kline's single, Daniel Conrad, pinch-hitting for Evan Lancaster, walked. Shane Kurtz then replaced Clinton.
Kurtz walked in a run after he issued the first batter he faced, third baseman Bryan Brumbaugh, a free pass. Mylin then drove in two runs with a single.
Ransbottom then worked a perfect seventh inning for the win.
In four of the seven innings Ransbottom pitched, he threw less than 10 pitches.
With the win, Warsaw ups its record to 11-7 overall and 6-4 in the NLC. The Tigers are next in action Wednesday when they travel to Nappanee for a 4:45 game against NorthWood.
WARSAW 6, PLYMOUTH 2
Plymouth
AB R H RBI
Scott 2b 3 0 0 0
Clinton p 1 1 1 0
Corbett c 3 0 0 0
Hinz dh 2 0 1 0
Adams 1b 3 0 0 1
Brown cf 3 1 1 1
Rudd rf 3 0 0 0
Roberts 3b 2 0 0 0
Kurtz p 1 0 0 0
Morris lf 3 0 0 0
Totals 24 2 3 2
Warsaw
AB R H RBI
Mylin cf 4 0 2 2
Hanons lf 3 0 0 0
Freds 2b 3 1 1 0
Sudhoff ss 3 1 1 1
Kistler dh 2 2 2 0
Sale 1b 3 0 0 0
Kline c 3 1 2 2
Lancaster rf 2 0 0 0
Conrad ph 0 1 0 0
Brumbaugh 3b 2 0 1 1
Totals 25 6 9 6
Plymouth (8-8, 4-5) 010 001 0 - 2 3 1
Warsaw (11-7, 6-4) 000 204 X - 6 9 1
2B - Kistler, Kline. HR - Sudhoff, Brown
IP H R ER BB SO
Plymouth
Clinton (L) 5.2 9 6 6 2 3
Kurtz 0.1 1 0 0 1 0
Warsaw
Ransbottom (5-1) 7.0 3 2 2 2 3 [[In-content Ad]]
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It was Warsaw's battery that powered the Tigers to a win Monday night.
Senior pitcher Matt Ransbottom threw a complete game three-hitter and sophomore catcher Braden Kline hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth that sparked a four-run inning to give Warsaw a 6-2 victory in Northern Lakes Conference baseball action Monday night against Plymouth.
Warsaw beat the Pilgrims earlier in the year in Plymouth 15-4. It's the first time Warsaw has swept Plymouth since 2003 when the Tigers went 14-0 in the NLC.
The Tigers struggled early against Plymouth pitcher Chad Clinton, who entered the contest with a 3-0 record and a 2.01 ERA in 24-1/3 innings pitched.
The Pilgrims jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning when Michael Brown took Ransbottom's first pitch deep over the left-field fence.
Warsaw finally answered in the fourth inning when shortstop Mark Sudhoff hit a line-drive solo homerun of his own that nearly took out Warsaw's scoreboard in left field.
"Mark Sudhoff's home run was big," said Warsaw coach Mike Hepler. "It sort of got us off the schneid."
The Tigers added another run in the fourth when Kline looped a single into center field that scored fellow sophomore Jordan Kistler.
Both of Kline's RBI came with two outs.
Plymouth tied things up in the sixth inning when Chad Clinton got things started with a single. Junior catcher Brent Corbett laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Clinton to second. After designated hitter Kirk Hinz was walked, Clinton advanced to third on a passed ball. First baseman Marc Adams then drove Clinton home on a fielder's choice.
Until Clinton connected on his sixth-inning single, Ransbottom retired 12 straight Pilgrims.
"I can't say enough about Matt Ransbottom," said Hepler. "He did a real nice job of getting the ball and throwing it. We talk to our pitchers about that pace, keeping pitchers on the rubber and throwing strikes."
Ransbottom, who will play for IPFW next season, allowed just three hits over seven innings and outside of Brown's home run didn't make a bad pitch.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander also was efficient as he threw just 78 pitches over seven full innings.
Ransbottom also was aided by some good defense as he sat just three batters down via the strikeout.
Centerfielder Kyler Mylin saved a certain RBI-double by Adam Morris as he chased down a deep drive to the warning track while wrapping himself into a pretzel in the process.
"I'm really pleased with our effort," said Hepler. "We made a lot of good plays and a few great plays including that catch Kyler (Mylin) made."
Kline's game-tying single in the sixth opened the floodgates for Warsaw as the Tigers put up a four-spot for some insurance.
After Kline's single, Daniel Conrad, pinch-hitting for Evan Lancaster, walked. Shane Kurtz then replaced Clinton.
Kurtz walked in a run after he issued the first batter he faced, third baseman Bryan Brumbaugh, a free pass. Mylin then drove in two runs with a single.
Ransbottom then worked a perfect seventh inning for the win.
In four of the seven innings Ransbottom pitched, he threw less than 10 pitches.
With the win, Warsaw ups its record to 11-7 overall and 6-4 in the NLC. The Tigers are next in action Wednesday when they travel to Nappanee for a 4:45 game against NorthWood.
WARSAW 6, PLYMOUTH 2
Plymouth
AB R H RBI
Scott 2b 3 0 0 0
Clinton p 1 1 1 0
Corbett c 3 0 0 0
Hinz dh 2 0 1 0
Adams 1b 3 0 0 1
Brown cf 3 1 1 1
Rudd rf 3 0 0 0
Roberts 3b 2 0 0 0
Kurtz p 1 0 0 0
Morris lf 3 0 0 0
Totals 24 2 3 2
Warsaw
AB R H RBI
Mylin cf 4 0 2 2
Hanons lf 3 0 0 0
Freds 2b 3 1 1 0
Sudhoff ss 3 1 1 1
Kistler dh 2 2 2 0
Sale 1b 3 0 0 0
Kline c 3 1 2 2
Lancaster rf 2 0 0 0
Conrad ph 0 1 0 0
Brumbaugh 3b 2 0 1 1
Totals 25 6 9 6
Plymouth (8-8, 4-5) 010 001 0 - 2 3 1
Warsaw (11-7, 6-4) 000 204 X - 6 9 1
2B - Kistler, Kline. HR - Sudhoff, Brown
IP H R ER BB SO
Plymouth
Clinton (L) 5.2 9 6 6 2 3
Kurtz 0.1 1 0 0 1 0
Warsaw
Ransbottom (5-1) 7.0 3 2 2 2 3 [[In-content Ad]]