Warsaw Tops Elkhart Memorial, Keeps Perfect NLC Record Intact

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Sports Editor-

"We control our own destiny," said Warsaw baseball coach Will Shepherd. "Everyone is looking up at us right now, and that's where we want to be."

The Tigers improved to 5-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference by defeating Elkhart Memorial 3-0 Monday evening at Tiger Field.

Senior fireballer Ryan DeGeeter improved to 5-0 on the season by pitching the compete-game shutout. He allowed just three hits and struck out 11 in the seven-inning outing.

After 2-1/2 scoreless innings, Warsaw got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Travis O'Neill opened the inning with a single and moved to second on a stolen base. Then Sean Alderfer reached first on a walk.

Brandon LaFollette moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, and DeGeeter drove O'Neill home with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Warsaw held its 1-0 lead until the bottom of the sixth inning. Berto Nunez opened the inning with a double to right field, and Josh Stork walked to first.

Nunez was thrown out on a double play, leaving Stork on first base as pinch-hitter Hans Griepentrog stepped to the plate.

Griepentrog pounded a first-pitch fast ball over the left-field fence for a two-run blast, putting the Tigers up 3-0 going into the top of the seventh inning.

"Hans took that first-pitch fast ball and boom!," said Shepherd. "That was a huge step-up by a junior who has not had many at-bats this season. That was a perfect example of how to be aggressive."

Elkhart Memorial threatened in the top of the seventh when Mike McGregor reached first on a walk and Marc Cave hit a one-out single to put runners on first and second base.

However, DeGeeter stopped the Charger momentum by striking out the last two batters to end the game.

"This was a very big game," said Shepherd. "Elkhart Memorial is a good, solid team. They are very young, and their pitcher did a good job mixing up the pitches."

The win moves Warsaw's overall record to 11-2.

This game is just the start of a busy week for the Tigers, as they play five games in six days. They are off tonight and then host NLC opponents Wawasee on Wednesday and Northridge on Thursday in a continuation of a game rained out last week. Then Warsaw travels to Goshen Friday for another conference game. The Tigers come back home Saturday for a non-confference matchup against Fort Wayne Northrop.

WARSAW 3,

ELKHART MEMORIAL 0

Memorial 000 000 0 - 0 3 2

Warsaw 001 002 X - 3 6 1

Memorial AB R H RBI

Corpe cf 3 0 0 0

Horvath 2b 3 0 0 0

Nielsen c 3 0 0 0

McGregor rf 2 0 1 0

Koons dh 3 0 1 0

Cave 1b 3 0 1 0

Stone lf 2 0 0 0

Bailey ph 1 0 0 0

Phillips p 3 0 0 0

Dempsey 3b 2 0 0 0

Totals 25 0 3 0

Warsaw AB R H RBI

Alderfer ss 2 0 1 0

LaFollette cf 3 0 1 0

DeGeeter p 2 0 0 1

Knepper 1b 1 0 0 0

Smith rf 3 0 0 0

Nunez 3b 3 0 2 0

Stork c 2 1 0 0

Thomas ph 0 0 0 0

Sharp 2b 2 0 0 0

O'Neill lf 2 1 1 0

Griepentrog ph 1 1 1 2

Totals 21 3 6 3

LOB -ÊMemorial 5, Warsaw 8. 2B - McGregor, Nunez, HR -ÊGriepentrog. SB -ÊO'Neill. CS - Alderfer. HB - DeGeeter, Knepper. Sac - DeGeeter, LaFollette. DP -ÊElkhart Memorial 1.

IP R ER H BB SO

Memorial

Phillips, L, 4-2 6 3 3 6 4 4

Warsaw

DeGeeter, W, 5-0 7 0 0 3 1 11

HB - Phillips 2. [[In-content Ad]]

"We control our own destiny," said Warsaw baseball coach Will Shepherd. "Everyone is looking up at us right now, and that's where we want to be."

The Tigers improved to 5-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference by defeating Elkhart Memorial 3-0 Monday evening at Tiger Field.

Senior fireballer Ryan DeGeeter improved to 5-0 on the season by pitching the compete-game shutout. He allowed just three hits and struck out 11 in the seven-inning outing.

After 2-1/2 scoreless innings, Warsaw got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Travis O'Neill opened the inning with a single and moved to second on a stolen base. Then Sean Alderfer reached first on a walk.

Brandon LaFollette moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, and DeGeeter drove O'Neill home with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Warsaw held its 1-0 lead until the bottom of the sixth inning. Berto Nunez opened the inning with a double to right field, and Josh Stork walked to first.

Nunez was thrown out on a double play, leaving Stork on first base as pinch-hitter Hans Griepentrog stepped to the plate.

Griepentrog pounded a first-pitch fast ball over the left-field fence for a two-run blast, putting the Tigers up 3-0 going into the top of the seventh inning.

"Hans took that first-pitch fast ball and boom!," said Shepherd. "That was a huge step-up by a junior who has not had many at-bats this season. That was a perfect example of how to be aggressive."

Elkhart Memorial threatened in the top of the seventh when Mike McGregor reached first on a walk and Marc Cave hit a one-out single to put runners on first and second base.

However, DeGeeter stopped the Charger momentum by striking out the last two batters to end the game.

"This was a very big game," said Shepherd. "Elkhart Memorial is a good, solid team. They are very young, and their pitcher did a good job mixing up the pitches."

The win moves Warsaw's overall record to 11-2.

This game is just the start of a busy week for the Tigers, as they play five games in six days. They are off tonight and then host NLC opponents Wawasee on Wednesday and Northridge on Thursday in a continuation of a game rained out last week. Then Warsaw travels to Goshen Friday for another conference game. The Tigers come back home Saturday for a non-confference matchup against Fort Wayne Northrop.

WARSAW 3,

ELKHART MEMORIAL 0

Memorial 000 000 0 - 0 3 2

Warsaw 001 002 X - 3 6 1

Memorial AB R H RBI

Corpe cf 3 0 0 0

Horvath 2b 3 0 0 0

Nielsen c 3 0 0 0

McGregor rf 2 0 1 0

Koons dh 3 0 1 0

Cave 1b 3 0 1 0

Stone lf 2 0 0 0

Bailey ph 1 0 0 0

Phillips p 3 0 0 0

Dempsey 3b 2 0 0 0

Totals 25 0 3 0

Warsaw AB R H RBI

Alderfer ss 2 0 1 0

LaFollette cf 3 0 1 0

DeGeeter p 2 0 0 1

Knepper 1b 1 0 0 0

Smith rf 3 0 0 0

Nunez 3b 3 0 2 0

Stork c 2 1 0 0

Thomas ph 0 0 0 0

Sharp 2b 2 0 0 0

O'Neill lf 2 1 1 0

Griepentrog ph 1 1 1 2

Totals 21 3 6 3

LOB -ÊMemorial 5, Warsaw 8. 2B - McGregor, Nunez, HR -ÊGriepentrog. SB -ÊO'Neill. CS - Alderfer. HB - DeGeeter, Knepper. Sac - DeGeeter, LaFollette. DP -ÊElkhart Memorial 1.

IP R ER H BB SO

Memorial

Phillips, L, 4-2 6 3 3 6 4 4

Warsaw

DeGeeter, W, 5-0 7 0 0 3 1 11

HB - Phillips 2. [[In-content Ad]]

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