Vikings Rally To Beat Warsaw
Tyler Akers' squeeze play propels Valley to 5-4 win
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Hosting Kosciusko County rival Warsaw in high school baseball action, the Vikings pounded out four hits and plated three runs in the sixth inning en route to a 5-4 win over the Tigers.
Though they scored two runs in the first inning, the Vikings had just two hits prior to the sixth inning.
Warsaw’s pitching staff had retired 10 straight Valley batters.
With the game – as well as county bragging rights – on the line, however, Valley’s offense came to life.
Freshman Tanner Andrews started the home half of the sixth by drawing a walk, making him Valley’s first base runner since the second inning. Senior Cody Krider then singled, followed by junior Brody Andrews’ RBI-double that allowed his brother to score and cut Warsaw’s advantage to 4-3.
Krider was later thrown out at home, accounting for the first out when he tried to tie the score. Valley, however, tied the game when junior James Hackworth’s RBI-single allowed Brody Andrews to score.
Junior Kameron Larimer followed Hackworth’s single with a base hit of his own, and senior Tyler Akers perfected a suicide squeeze that plated Hackworth and gave the Vikings a 5-4 lead.
The Tigers got out of the inning by striking out senior Trey Jones, but Krider sat Warsaw batters Mitchell Gosnell, Darin Lursen and Joey Hickerson down in order in the top of the seventh to preserve the come-from-behind win.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s always nice to get a win, but there’s still a lot of things we didn’t do well that we have to work on,” said Valley coach Scott Backus. “We gave up two of their four runs on an error, and we blew a chance at a triple play. I’m glad we won, but we know we have some things to work on.”
The Vikings, who improved to 3-2 on the season with their second-straight win, pounded out four hits and had one error.
Warsaw, which fell to 0-4, tallied five hits and made one error in the field.
“Valley made some good plays,” said Warsaw coach Mike Hepler, whose team took off all last week for spring break and hadn’t played a game since March 30. “Part of it is, you have to tip your hat to them, they made plays when they had to. They had a nice hit-and-run play, a nice squeeze play. We were right there with a pretty good team, I felt like we were in the game, but we have to develop a killer instinct.”
The Tigers scored the game’s first run when senior Aaron Christenberry’s RBI-single brought Lursen home.
Valley answered by scoring two runs in the bottom of the opening frame.
Warsaw scored two runs in the fourth inning and another in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead before the Vikings rallied and produced the game-winning run with Akers’ squeeze play.
“He’s a great kid, and he made a great play,” Backus said of Akers. “Tyler has executed three suicide squeezes in three games. He’s a kid that just goes out and does what you ask him to do. The worst part is we’re only gonna have him around here for a couple more months, and then he’s gonna move on.”
Akers is among just three seniors on Valley’s roster, joining Krider and Jones.
While Akers was responsible for plating the winning run, Krider got the victory on the mound.
Coming on in relief of starter James Hackworth, Krider pitched three innings, giving up just two hits, one run and one walk. He struck out three Warsaw batters.
Hackworth worked the first four innings, giving up three hits, three runs, four walks and striking out six Tigers.
“Cory’s got really good stuff,” Backus said of his winning pitcher. “When you can go back-to-back with Hack and Krider, that usually works out good for us.”
Junior Kyle Gibbs took the loss on the bump for the Tigers, pitching just the sixth inning and giving up four hits and three runs.
Seniors Joey Hickerson and Nick Nunez, and junior Austin Moore combined to pitch the first five innings. The trio gave up just two hits and two runs, while striking out four and walking one.
“We hadn’t played a game in two weeks,” said Hepler. “I wanted to get as many kids in the game as possible, and we did that today. We got off to a decent start, we scored a run in the first inning and later had a two-run lead, but we’ve got to develop that killer instinct and stay on top of a team.”
Brody Andrews’ double was the only extra-base hit of the game. Krider had two singles for the Vikings, while Hackworth, Larimer and sophomore Mason Teel had one hit each in the win.
For Warsaw, Lursen, Christenberry, Moore and juniors Austin Franzen and Kyle Morris each had a single.
Both Warsaw and Valley are in action again Saturday, with the Tigers hosting South Bend Riley in a doubleheader that starts at 11 a.m. and the Vikings playing in an 11 a.m. twinbill at Bremen.
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 5, WARSAW 4
W 100 201 0 – 4 5 1
V 200 003 X – 5 6 1
James Hackworth (4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 6 K, 4 BB), Cory Krider (W, 3 IP, 2 H, 1R, 3 K, 1 BB) to Jacob Ritchey, Brody Andrews
Joey Hickerson (2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 K, 1 BB), Nick Nunez (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K, 0 BB), Austin Moore (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 K, 0 BB), Kyle Gibbs (L, 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 K, 1 BB) to Darin Lursen, Mitchell Gosnell
2B – Brody Andrews (TV)
Records: Valley 3-2, Warsaw 0-4[[In-content Ad]]
Hosting Kosciusko County rival Warsaw in high school baseball action, the Vikings pounded out four hits and plated three runs in the sixth inning en route to a 5-4 win over the Tigers.
Though they scored two runs in the first inning, the Vikings had just two hits prior to the sixth inning.
Warsaw’s pitching staff had retired 10 straight Valley batters.
With the game – as well as county bragging rights – on the line, however, Valley’s offense came to life.
Freshman Tanner Andrews started the home half of the sixth by drawing a walk, making him Valley’s first base runner since the second inning. Senior Cody Krider then singled, followed by junior Brody Andrews’ RBI-double that allowed his brother to score and cut Warsaw’s advantage to 4-3.
Krider was later thrown out at home, accounting for the first out when he tried to tie the score. Valley, however, tied the game when junior James Hackworth’s RBI-single allowed Brody Andrews to score.
Junior Kameron Larimer followed Hackworth’s single with a base hit of his own, and senior Tyler Akers perfected a suicide squeeze that plated Hackworth and gave the Vikings a 5-4 lead.
The Tigers got out of the inning by striking out senior Trey Jones, but Krider sat Warsaw batters Mitchell Gosnell, Darin Lursen and Joey Hickerson down in order in the top of the seventh to preserve the come-from-behind win.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s always nice to get a win, but there’s still a lot of things we didn’t do well that we have to work on,” said Valley coach Scott Backus. “We gave up two of their four runs on an error, and we blew a chance at a triple play. I’m glad we won, but we know we have some things to work on.”
The Vikings, who improved to 3-2 on the season with their second-straight win, pounded out four hits and had one error.
Warsaw, which fell to 0-4, tallied five hits and made one error in the field.
“Valley made some good plays,” said Warsaw coach Mike Hepler, whose team took off all last week for spring break and hadn’t played a game since March 30. “Part of it is, you have to tip your hat to them, they made plays when they had to. They had a nice hit-and-run play, a nice squeeze play. We were right there with a pretty good team, I felt like we were in the game, but we have to develop a killer instinct.”
The Tigers scored the game’s first run when senior Aaron Christenberry’s RBI-single brought Lursen home.
Valley answered by scoring two runs in the bottom of the opening frame.
Warsaw scored two runs in the fourth inning and another in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead before the Vikings rallied and produced the game-winning run with Akers’ squeeze play.
“He’s a great kid, and he made a great play,” Backus said of Akers. “Tyler has executed three suicide squeezes in three games. He’s a kid that just goes out and does what you ask him to do. The worst part is we’re only gonna have him around here for a couple more months, and then he’s gonna move on.”
Akers is among just three seniors on Valley’s roster, joining Krider and Jones.
While Akers was responsible for plating the winning run, Krider got the victory on the mound.
Coming on in relief of starter James Hackworth, Krider pitched three innings, giving up just two hits, one run and one walk. He struck out three Warsaw batters.
Hackworth worked the first four innings, giving up three hits, three runs, four walks and striking out six Tigers.
“Cory’s got really good stuff,” Backus said of his winning pitcher. “When you can go back-to-back with Hack and Krider, that usually works out good for us.”
Junior Kyle Gibbs took the loss on the bump for the Tigers, pitching just the sixth inning and giving up four hits and three runs.
Seniors Joey Hickerson and Nick Nunez, and junior Austin Moore combined to pitch the first five innings. The trio gave up just two hits and two runs, while striking out four and walking one.
“We hadn’t played a game in two weeks,” said Hepler. “I wanted to get as many kids in the game as possible, and we did that today. We got off to a decent start, we scored a run in the first inning and later had a two-run lead, but we’ve got to develop that killer instinct and stay on top of a team.”
Brody Andrews’ double was the only extra-base hit of the game. Krider had two singles for the Vikings, while Hackworth, Larimer and sophomore Mason Teel had one hit each in the win.
For Warsaw, Lursen, Christenberry, Moore and juniors Austin Franzen and Kyle Morris each had a single.
Both Warsaw and Valley are in action again Saturday, with the Tigers hosting South Bend Riley in a doubleheader that starts at 11 a.m. and the Vikings playing in an 11 a.m. twinbill at Bremen.
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 5, WARSAW 4
W 100 201 0 – 4 5 1
V 200 003 X – 5 6 1
James Hackworth (4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 6 K, 4 BB), Cory Krider (W, 3 IP, 2 H, 1R, 3 K, 1 BB) to Jacob Ritchey, Brody Andrews
Joey Hickerson (2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 K, 1 BB), Nick Nunez (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K, 0 BB), Austin Moore (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 K, 0 BB), Kyle Gibbs (L, 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 K, 1 BB) to Darin Lursen, Mitchell Gosnell
2B – Brody Andrews (TV)
Records: Valley 3-2, Warsaw 0-4[[In-content Ad]]
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