Warsaw Tigers Rally, Clip Eagles
April 21, 2017 at 3:48 p.m.
By Mark [email protected]
Eagle junior centerfielder Hayden Schott doubled and scored in each of the first two innings, then smacked a two-run homer to right in third inning to stake Culver Academies to a 7-2 lead. The Tigers chipped away, then rallied with five runs in the sixth en route to the non-conference victory.
The winning rally began with Warsaw trailing 7-5. Matt Francis drove a leadoff single to center, and Bryce Sensibaugh was hit by a pitch. Jared Hawley bunted with the specific intent of moving the tying runs into scoring position. The bunt rolled gently down the first base line, and Eagle catcher Jake Young waited for the ball to roll foul. A spike mark prevented that, and the bases were loaded.
With one out, Alex Miller kept the line moving with a slow-rolling infield single, driving in Francis. Braxton Tennant’s soft single to right drove in the tying and go-ahead runs.
Tennant took second when rightfielder Will LeVan misplayed the ball, and Jordan Steffensmeier capped the rally with a single to right-center, driving in two insurance runs.
Hawley had errors on consecutive plays with one out in the top of the seventh, but Matt Shapiro struck out LeVan and Drake Garbacik to end the game with Schott on the on-deck circle.
Shapiro went the distance in his first varsity start despite allowing four runs in a rain-drenched first inning. Warsaw committed an error in the opening frame, and the Eagles had a couple of hits on balls outfielders would normally catch.
Warsaw coach Mike Hepler said Shapiro might have been a little nervous, “but it was pretty bad conditions also. It was raining and the wind was howling out, it was cloudy and dark and kind of an odd start to the game, and we had some weird plays.
“But he hung in there. After throwing 30-some odd pitches in the first inning, for him to finish the game, that’s a real tip of my hat to him.”
Hepler said he appreciates the confidence his players had in their ability to come back. But of course he’d rather not have them in that disposition in the first place.
“They’re gritty. Yesterday (against Goshen) we fell behind 12-2 and closed it to 12-9. We battled back, but made too many mistakes to win that game.
“Today I felt like in the sixth inning we got some energy going. Francis led off with the single, then we caught a couple of breaks and the next thing you know we have the bases loaded. We got a dribbler for a run and a soft liner to right for two more. Then Steffensmeier had the big hit, and he needed that to get his confidence up.
“If we can eliminate those mistakes, we’ll have a little bit easier games. ‘Cause we can really hit the ball, and we can run and steal bases. We just need to play better defense.”
Now 4-4 overall, Warsaw returns to Northern Lakes Conference play today, hosting Plymouth at 5 p.m.
WARSAW 10
CULVER ACADEMIES 7
CA 412 000 0 – 7 12 3
W 112 015 x – 10 10 4
Culver – Kyle Dane (L, 5.2IP, 9H, 10R, 10ER, 2BB, 6K), Wilson Bird (0.2IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K).
Warsaw – Matt Shapiro (W, 7IP, 12H, 7R, 6ER, 2BB, 6K)
2B – Hayden Schott 2 (CA), Bobchuk (CA), Dane (CA), Liam Patton (W), Jordan Steffensmeier (W).
HR – Collin Marshall (W), Dane (CA)
Records: Culver 3-4, Warsaw 4-4
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Eagle junior centerfielder Hayden Schott doubled and scored in each of the first two innings, then smacked a two-run homer to right in third inning to stake Culver Academies to a 7-2 lead. The Tigers chipped away, then rallied with five runs in the sixth en route to the non-conference victory.
The winning rally began with Warsaw trailing 7-5. Matt Francis drove a leadoff single to center, and Bryce Sensibaugh was hit by a pitch. Jared Hawley bunted with the specific intent of moving the tying runs into scoring position. The bunt rolled gently down the first base line, and Eagle catcher Jake Young waited for the ball to roll foul. A spike mark prevented that, and the bases were loaded.
With one out, Alex Miller kept the line moving with a slow-rolling infield single, driving in Francis. Braxton Tennant’s soft single to right drove in the tying and go-ahead runs.
Tennant took second when rightfielder Will LeVan misplayed the ball, and Jordan Steffensmeier capped the rally with a single to right-center, driving in two insurance runs.
Hawley had errors on consecutive plays with one out in the top of the seventh, but Matt Shapiro struck out LeVan and Drake Garbacik to end the game with Schott on the on-deck circle.
Shapiro went the distance in his first varsity start despite allowing four runs in a rain-drenched first inning. Warsaw committed an error in the opening frame, and the Eagles had a couple of hits on balls outfielders would normally catch.
Warsaw coach Mike Hepler said Shapiro might have been a little nervous, “but it was pretty bad conditions also. It was raining and the wind was howling out, it was cloudy and dark and kind of an odd start to the game, and we had some weird plays.
“But he hung in there. After throwing 30-some odd pitches in the first inning, for him to finish the game, that’s a real tip of my hat to him.”
Hepler said he appreciates the confidence his players had in their ability to come back. But of course he’d rather not have them in that disposition in the first place.
“They’re gritty. Yesterday (against Goshen) we fell behind 12-2 and closed it to 12-9. We battled back, but made too many mistakes to win that game.
“Today I felt like in the sixth inning we got some energy going. Francis led off with the single, then we caught a couple of breaks and the next thing you know we have the bases loaded. We got a dribbler for a run and a soft liner to right for two more. Then Steffensmeier had the big hit, and he needed that to get his confidence up.
“If we can eliminate those mistakes, we’ll have a little bit easier games. ‘Cause we can really hit the ball, and we can run and steal bases. We just need to play better defense.”
Now 4-4 overall, Warsaw returns to Northern Lakes Conference play today, hosting Plymouth at 5 p.m.
WARSAW 10
CULVER ACADEMIES 7
CA 412 000 0 – 7 12 3
W 112 015 x – 10 10 4
Culver – Kyle Dane (L, 5.2IP, 9H, 10R, 10ER, 2BB, 6K), Wilson Bird (0.2IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K).
Warsaw – Matt Shapiro (W, 7IP, 12H, 7R, 6ER, 2BB, 6K)
2B – Hayden Schott 2 (CA), Bobchuk (CA), Dane (CA), Liam Patton (W), Jordan Steffensmeier (W).
HR – Collin Marshall (W), Dane (CA)
Records: Culver 3-4, Warsaw 4-4
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