Wawasee Baseball Team Tops Manchester
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Leading his team to a 6-1 win, Wawasee senior pitcher Joe Fleagle went six innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 10, improving the Warriors to 2-0 while the Manchester Squires fell to 0-2.
"He wants to strike out everybody," Wawasee coach John Blunk said about Fleagle. "I wish he'd just cut his pitch count down and let them make some contact and let us make some plays."
Prior to handing the ball to junior Derrick Sorensen for the seventh inning, Fleagle threw 104 pitches.
"He has a week off," Blunk said. "We don't play again until Thursday (at home against Wabash), and he's not scheduled to pitch until Saturday. So, he has a lot of days off."
Once Fleagle left the mound, things got a little dicey for the Warriors.
Sorensen began by walking the first two batters he faced, but then the Warrior defense stepped up.
With two on and no outs, Manchester junior Evan Olinger hit a shot to third base, where Wawasee sophomore Nate Hare corralled it, touched the bag and made the throw to first for the double play.
"That double play was the play of the game, because if that doesn't happen, it does unravel," Blunk said. "Derrick's going back to shortstop and Derrick (Navarro) is coming in to pitch (if the ball gets through). Nate saved our bacon."
Following the play, Manchester senior Payton Sorg flew out to left field, ending the game with his team getting just two hits.
"We didn't hit the ball very well against (Fleagle)," Manchester coach Jack Rupley said. "With his deliveries, it's a little bit deceptive. Still, when our kids are on deck, they need to prepare for that when they step into that box."
Sadly for Rupley, he didn't have anyone to complain to in the dugout, as he was accompanied by just two players in there and no assistant coaches.
"We've only got 23 kids," Rupley said about this year's Squires baseball program – including the varsity and JV. "(Junior) Jim Sainsbury's our only catcher, so I have to bring another catcher to back him up and when he pitches. It's just one of those things."
Sainsbury was the starting pitcher against Wawasee, picking up the loss, and also going behind home plate when he was replaced by senior Logan Brunn in the fourth.
"It's a matter of getting some consistency," Rupley said. "Logan had some spots where he threw the ball well. Jim, for his first time out, threw pretty well for the most part. We just have to be more consistent."
One constant was Manchester's struggling defense, which committed six errors.
"We struggled a little bit in the field tonight," Rupley said. "We just have to straighten some things out."
While his team committed just one error, Blunk too is working with some inexperience, even though it didn't show too much against Manchester.
"We're young," Blunk said. "Other than (senior) Si (Shear), and when Joe's on the mound, they're the only people in the same position from last year. We have a whole new infield and a whole new outfield, with no experience."
Offensively, Sorensen had two singles and also reached base thanks to two Manchester errors, while sophomore Gabe Rhodes went 0 for 2, but his two groundouts did result in RBIs.
Sophomore Patrick Navarro also reached twice thanks to Manchester errors, although he also blasted a second-inning double, much to the delight of Blunk.
"Patrick hit the ball well today," the Wawasee coach said. "That's helping us, with him being the (designated hitter)."
Like Wawasee, Manchester is also off for a while, not returning to action until April 10 at Taylor.
WAWASEE 6, MANCHESTER 1
M 000 001 0 – 1 2 6
W 002 310 x – 6 8 1
Joe Fleagle (W, 6IP, 1R, 0ER, 2H, 10K, 4BB), Derrick Sorensen (7, 1IP, 2BB) and Si Shear
Jim Sainsbury (L, 3IP, 2R, 2ER, 4H, 3K, 1BB), Logan Brunn (4, 2IP, 4R, 2ER, 4H, 2K, 1BB), Connor McLaughlin (6, 1IP, 2K) and Jake Semler, Sainsbury (4)
2B – Patrick Navarro (W), Caleb Thomas (M)
Records: Wawasee 2-0, Manchester 0-2[[In-content Ad]]
Leading his team to a 6-1 win, Wawasee senior pitcher Joe Fleagle went six innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 10, improving the Warriors to 2-0 while the Manchester Squires fell to 0-2.
"He wants to strike out everybody," Wawasee coach John Blunk said about Fleagle. "I wish he'd just cut his pitch count down and let them make some contact and let us make some plays."
Prior to handing the ball to junior Derrick Sorensen for the seventh inning, Fleagle threw 104 pitches.
"He has a week off," Blunk said. "We don't play again until Thursday (at home against Wabash), and he's not scheduled to pitch until Saturday. So, he has a lot of days off."
Once Fleagle left the mound, things got a little dicey for the Warriors.
Sorensen began by walking the first two batters he faced, but then the Warrior defense stepped up.
With two on and no outs, Manchester junior Evan Olinger hit a shot to third base, where Wawasee sophomore Nate Hare corralled it, touched the bag and made the throw to first for the double play.
"That double play was the play of the game, because if that doesn't happen, it does unravel," Blunk said. "Derrick's going back to shortstop and Derrick (Navarro) is coming in to pitch (if the ball gets through). Nate saved our bacon."
Following the play, Manchester senior Payton Sorg flew out to left field, ending the game with his team getting just two hits.
"We didn't hit the ball very well against (Fleagle)," Manchester coach Jack Rupley said. "With his deliveries, it's a little bit deceptive. Still, when our kids are on deck, they need to prepare for that when they step into that box."
Sadly for Rupley, he didn't have anyone to complain to in the dugout, as he was accompanied by just two players in there and no assistant coaches.
"We've only got 23 kids," Rupley said about this year's Squires baseball program – including the varsity and JV. "(Junior) Jim Sainsbury's our only catcher, so I have to bring another catcher to back him up and when he pitches. It's just one of those things."
Sainsbury was the starting pitcher against Wawasee, picking up the loss, and also going behind home plate when he was replaced by senior Logan Brunn in the fourth.
"It's a matter of getting some consistency," Rupley said. "Logan had some spots where he threw the ball well. Jim, for his first time out, threw pretty well for the most part. We just have to be more consistent."
One constant was Manchester's struggling defense, which committed six errors.
"We struggled a little bit in the field tonight," Rupley said. "We just have to straighten some things out."
While his team committed just one error, Blunk too is working with some inexperience, even though it didn't show too much against Manchester.
"We're young," Blunk said. "Other than (senior) Si (Shear), and when Joe's on the mound, they're the only people in the same position from last year. We have a whole new infield and a whole new outfield, with no experience."
Offensively, Sorensen had two singles and also reached base thanks to two Manchester errors, while sophomore Gabe Rhodes went 0 for 2, but his two groundouts did result in RBIs.
Sophomore Patrick Navarro also reached twice thanks to Manchester errors, although he also blasted a second-inning double, much to the delight of Blunk.
"Patrick hit the ball well today," the Wawasee coach said. "That's helping us, with him being the (designated hitter)."
Like Wawasee, Manchester is also off for a while, not returning to action until April 10 at Taylor.
WAWASEE 6, MANCHESTER 1
M 000 001 0 – 1 2 6
W 002 310 x – 6 8 1
Joe Fleagle (W, 6IP, 1R, 0ER, 2H, 10K, 4BB), Derrick Sorensen (7, 1IP, 2BB) and Si Shear
Jim Sainsbury (L, 3IP, 2R, 2ER, 4H, 3K, 1BB), Logan Brunn (4, 2IP, 4R, 2ER, 4H, 2K, 1BB), Connor McLaughlin (6, 1IP, 2K) and Jake Semler, Sainsbury (4)
2B – Patrick Navarro (W), Caleb Thomas (M)
Records: Wawasee 2-0, Manchester 0-2[[In-content Ad]]
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