Tigers Sweep First Half Of NLC Season
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Seven games down, seven to go.
With a 7-1 win over Northridge Thursday, Warsaw improved to 7-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference, sweeping the first half of the conference season.
The game was continued after being rained out April 30 in the bottom of the second inning with the score tied at 1-all. Northridge had scored in the top of the second inning, and William Knepper evened the score with a home run to open the bottom of the second frame.
When the game resumed Thursday evening, Warsaw's Zack Smith was on third with one out.
However, the score did not stay tied for long as Smith scored on a wild pitch that careened to the backstop, making the score 2-1 in Warsaw's favor.
Northridge threatened to tie the score again in the top of the third when Austin Hoffman hit a double and then moved to third on a passed ball. It looked as though Hoffman would score when Zach Miller hit a fly ball to centerfield.
However, Brandon LaFollette had other plans. The Tiger centerfielder caught the fly ball and sent a laser to catcher Josh Stork at home plate, gunning Hoffman out and ending the inning.
The Tigers took their 2-1 lead and ran with it.
After his stunning double play, LaFollette stepped to the plate and sent a gapper to left-center field to open the Tigers' half of the third. Then pitcher Ryan DeGeeter pounded a double to right field, putting runners on second and third as Knepper stepped to the plate.
Knepper hit a sacrifice fly to center that sent LaFollette home, and then Josh Stork hit a two-out double to leftfield to send DeGeeter across the plate, putting the Tigers up 4-1.
The Tigers held the Raiders scoreless in the top of the fourth, and got right back to work offensively in the bottom of the inning.
Berto Nunez blasted the first pitch of the fourth inning over the 350 sign in left field to make the score 5-1.
But Warsaw was not finished yet. After Nunez's home run, Sean Alderfer walked to first and Brandon LaFollette hit a single to centerfield, putting runners on first and second as DeGeeter stepped to the dish. The Tiger righty pounded the ball to left field for his second double of the day and sent both Alderfer and LaFollette home to make the score 7-1.
"The Tigers came out tonight and backed up our ace, Ryan DeGeeter," said Knepper. "This was a big stepping stone for us. Now we have two more this week and a big game against Plymouth on Monday."
Warsaw held Northridge scoreless for the rest of the game and finished the night with the 7-1 NLC win.
"We got off to a really good start," said Warsaw coach Will Shepherd. "I think we were the aggressor. I think that the kids understood that when you play as the aggressor, good things happen. A lot of kids stepped up tonight."
DeGeeter, Kneppper and Nunez led the Tigers with two hits each, while Stork added one hit.
"Our main goal tonight was to play well offensively, and that's what we did," said Smith. "We finally backed up our pitcher."
DeGeeter was the star on the mound as well, pitching the complete game to improve to 6-0 on the season. His record is 18-0 since the beginning of his junior year. He gave up one hit and one unearned run, while striking out six and walking three.
"Ryan did his thing again," said Shepherd. "Our team is a bit spoiled with that. I told the team that they better appreciate that because what he does is really helpful. He shuts the other team's offense down. He is just an outstanding high school athlete."
The 13-2 Tigers don't get much rest as they head to Goshen for another NLC game tonight. Then they turn around and host Fort Wayne Northrop Saturday morning for a non-conference contest and travel to Plymouth Monday night for yet another NLC game.
WARSAW 7, NORTHRIDGE 1
Northridge 010 000 0 - 1 1 1
Warsaw 022 300 X - 7 9 2
Northridge AB R H RBI
Miller 2b 3 0 0 0
Weaver p 2 0 0 0
Kock cf 3 0 0 0
Gingerich ss 2 1 0 0
Cripe 3b 3 0 0 0
Kindel c 2 0 0 0
Wickersham rf 3 0 0 0
Hofsommer lf 2 0 1 0
Mast 1b 2 0 0 0
Totals 22 1 1 0
Warsaw AB R H RBI
Alderfer ss 3 1 0 0
LaFollette cf 4 2 2 0
DeGeeter p 4 1 2 2
Knepper 1b 3 1 2 2
Smith rf 3 1 0 0
Stork c 3 0 1 1
Sharp 2b 3 0 0 0
Nunez 3b 2 1 2 1
O'Neill lf 0 0 0 0
Griepentrog 2 0 0 0
Totals 27 7 9 6
LOB - Northridge 3, Warsaw 6. 2B -ÊHofsommer, DeGeeter 2, Stork. HR -ÊKnepper, Nunez. SB -ÊNunez. Sac -ÊKnepper. HB -ÊO'Neill.
IP R ER H BB SO
Northridge
Weaver, L 3.1 7 6 8 1 0
Hofsommer 2.2 0 0 1 1 0
Warsaw
DeGeeter, W 7 1 0 1 3 6
HB -ÊWeaver 1. Balk -ÊWeaver 1. [[In-content Ad]]
Seven games down, seven to go.
With a 7-1 win over Northridge Thursday, Warsaw improved to 7-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference, sweeping the first half of the conference season.
The game was continued after being rained out April 30 in the bottom of the second inning with the score tied at 1-all. Northridge had scored in the top of the second inning, and William Knepper evened the score with a home run to open the bottom of the second frame.
When the game resumed Thursday evening, Warsaw's Zack Smith was on third with one out.
However, the score did not stay tied for long as Smith scored on a wild pitch that careened to the backstop, making the score 2-1 in Warsaw's favor.
Northridge threatened to tie the score again in the top of the third when Austin Hoffman hit a double and then moved to third on a passed ball. It looked as though Hoffman would score when Zach Miller hit a fly ball to centerfield.
However, Brandon LaFollette had other plans. The Tiger centerfielder caught the fly ball and sent a laser to catcher Josh Stork at home plate, gunning Hoffman out and ending the inning.
The Tigers took their 2-1 lead and ran with it.
After his stunning double play, LaFollette stepped to the plate and sent a gapper to left-center field to open the Tigers' half of the third. Then pitcher Ryan DeGeeter pounded a double to right field, putting runners on second and third as Knepper stepped to the plate.
Knepper hit a sacrifice fly to center that sent LaFollette home, and then Josh Stork hit a two-out double to leftfield to send DeGeeter across the plate, putting the Tigers up 4-1.
The Tigers held the Raiders scoreless in the top of the fourth, and got right back to work offensively in the bottom of the inning.
Berto Nunez blasted the first pitch of the fourth inning over the 350 sign in left field to make the score 5-1.
But Warsaw was not finished yet. After Nunez's home run, Sean Alderfer walked to first and Brandon LaFollette hit a single to centerfield, putting runners on first and second as DeGeeter stepped to the dish. The Tiger righty pounded the ball to left field for his second double of the day and sent both Alderfer and LaFollette home to make the score 7-1.
"The Tigers came out tonight and backed up our ace, Ryan DeGeeter," said Knepper. "This was a big stepping stone for us. Now we have two more this week and a big game against Plymouth on Monday."
Warsaw held Northridge scoreless for the rest of the game and finished the night with the 7-1 NLC win.
"We got off to a really good start," said Warsaw coach Will Shepherd. "I think we were the aggressor. I think that the kids understood that when you play as the aggressor, good things happen. A lot of kids stepped up tonight."
DeGeeter, Kneppper and Nunez led the Tigers with two hits each, while Stork added one hit.
"Our main goal tonight was to play well offensively, and that's what we did," said Smith. "We finally backed up our pitcher."
DeGeeter was the star on the mound as well, pitching the complete game to improve to 6-0 on the season. His record is 18-0 since the beginning of his junior year. He gave up one hit and one unearned run, while striking out six and walking three.
"Ryan did his thing again," said Shepherd. "Our team is a bit spoiled with that. I told the team that they better appreciate that because what he does is really helpful. He shuts the other team's offense down. He is just an outstanding high school athlete."
The 13-2 Tigers don't get much rest as they head to Goshen for another NLC game tonight. Then they turn around and host Fort Wayne Northrop Saturday morning for a non-conference contest and travel to Plymouth Monday night for yet another NLC game.
WARSAW 7, NORTHRIDGE 1
Northridge 010 000 0 - 1 1 1
Warsaw 022 300 X - 7 9 2
Northridge AB R H RBI
Miller 2b 3 0 0 0
Weaver p 2 0 0 0
Kock cf 3 0 0 0
Gingerich ss 2 1 0 0
Cripe 3b 3 0 0 0
Kindel c 2 0 0 0
Wickersham rf 3 0 0 0
Hofsommer lf 2 0 1 0
Mast 1b 2 0 0 0
Totals 22 1 1 0
Warsaw AB R H RBI
Alderfer ss 3 1 0 0
LaFollette cf 4 2 2 0
DeGeeter p 4 1 2 2
Knepper 1b 3 1 2 2
Smith rf 3 1 0 0
Stork c 3 0 1 1
Sharp 2b 3 0 0 0
Nunez 3b 2 1 2 1
O'Neill lf 0 0 0 0
Griepentrog 2 0 0 0
Totals 27 7 9 6
LOB - Northridge 3, Warsaw 6. 2B -ÊHofsommer, DeGeeter 2, Stork. HR -ÊKnepper, Nunez. SB -ÊNunez. Sac -ÊKnepper. HB -ÊO'Neill.
IP R ER H BB SO
Northridge
Weaver, L 3.1 7 6 8 1 0
Hofsommer 2.2 0 0 1 1 0
Warsaw
DeGeeter, W 7 1 0 1 3 6
HB -ÊWeaver 1. Balk -ÊWeaver 1. [[In-content Ad]]