Northridge Rallies In Bottom Of Seventh To Beat Wawasee

April 26, 2022 at 12:18 a.m.
Northridge Rallies In Bottom Of Seventh To Beat Wawasee
Northridge Rallies In Bottom Of Seventh To Beat Wawasee

By Steve Krah-

MIDDLEBURY — Wawasee held a one-run lead with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday, April 25 in a Northern Lakes Conference baseball game on the turf at Northridge’s D-Bat Elkhart Field.

The host Raiders — which not not get a hit off Warriors senior right-hander Grant Brooks until the sixth inning — used a double by Gavin Collins, a Wawasee fielding miscue on a ball hit by Harrison Slabaugh and a walk-off two-run ground-rule double by Max Horner for a 5-4 victory.

The Warriors fell to 1-7 overall and 0-3 in the NLC while Northridge improved to 6-3 and 4-0.

“Today was a tough one,” said Wawasee coach Joe Salazar. “Grant pitched well. He did a great job of hitting his spots.

“We battled a couple of errors. Our team is improving. We’re getting better with each game.”

Brooks, a Butler University commit, tossed 102 pitches with six strikeouts, including the lead-off batter in the Raider seventh.

Wawasee scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Grant Brooks led off with a single to right field, moved to second on Kalab Salazar’s groundout.

Dylan Stump cracked a two-run home run on a 1-2 pitch to plate Brooks and himself.

Northridge answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Gavin Collins was hit by a pitch and later scored on a passed ball. Horner reached base on an error and went on to score on a groundout by Kade Sainz.

The Warriors went up 3-2 when Maddox Everingham led off the top of the third inning with a double in the right-field corner and courtesy runner Landon Alexander stole third base and trotted home on Salazar’s groundout.

The Raiders pulled even with a run in their half of the second. Sainz was hit by a pitch and later scored on one of Wawasee’s four errors on the day.

The Warriors took a 4-3 advantage in the sixth. Salazar rapped a first-pitch triple to left and scored on Lucas Ringler’s two-out single to right.

“Our guys did a good job of hitting the ball where it was pitched,” said Salazar.

Wawasee’s seven hits also included a fifth-inning single to left by Hunter Fiedke. Northridge killed the rally with an frame-ending double play on a line drive to first base by Brooks and a tag-out at second.

Left-hander Qade Carrington went to distance on the mound for the Raiders with a four strikeouts and 80 pitches.

“Everything started with Qade on the mound,” said Northridge Chad Gerrard. “He went out and dealt strikes the entire game and forced them to put the ball in-play.

“We’re just glad to get out of here with the win.”

Bethany Christian visits Wawasee for a non-conference game Tuesday, April 26. Northridge is to play an NLC contest at Warsaw Wednesday, April 27.

MIDDLEBURY — Wawasee held a one-run lead with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday, April 25 in a Northern Lakes Conference baseball game on the turf at Northridge’s D-Bat Elkhart Field.

The host Raiders — which not not get a hit off Warriors senior right-hander Grant Brooks until the sixth inning — used a double by Gavin Collins, a Wawasee fielding miscue on a ball hit by Harrison Slabaugh and a walk-off two-run ground-rule double by Max Horner for a 5-4 victory.

The Warriors fell to 1-7 overall and 0-3 in the NLC while Northridge improved to 6-3 and 4-0.

“Today was a tough one,” said Wawasee coach Joe Salazar. “Grant pitched well. He did a great job of hitting his spots.

“We battled a couple of errors. Our team is improving. We’re getting better with each game.”

Brooks, a Butler University commit, tossed 102 pitches with six strikeouts, including the lead-off batter in the Raider seventh.

Wawasee scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Grant Brooks led off with a single to right field, moved to second on Kalab Salazar’s groundout.

Dylan Stump cracked a two-run home run on a 1-2 pitch to plate Brooks and himself.

Northridge answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Gavin Collins was hit by a pitch and later scored on a passed ball. Horner reached base on an error and went on to score on a groundout by Kade Sainz.

The Warriors went up 3-2 when Maddox Everingham led off the top of the third inning with a double in the right-field corner and courtesy runner Landon Alexander stole third base and trotted home on Salazar’s groundout.

The Raiders pulled even with a run in their half of the second. Sainz was hit by a pitch and later scored on one of Wawasee’s four errors on the day.

The Warriors took a 4-3 advantage in the sixth. Salazar rapped a first-pitch triple to left and scored on Lucas Ringler’s two-out single to right.

“Our guys did a good job of hitting the ball where it was pitched,” said Salazar.

Wawasee’s seven hits also included a fifth-inning single to left by Hunter Fiedke. Northridge killed the rally with an frame-ending double play on a line drive to first base by Brooks and a tag-out at second.

Left-hander Qade Carrington went to distance on the mound for the Raiders with a four strikeouts and 80 pitches.

“Everything started with Qade on the mound,” said Northridge Chad Gerrard. “He went out and dealt strikes the entire game and forced them to put the ball in-play.

“We’re just glad to get out of here with the win.”

Bethany Christian visits Wawasee for a non-conference game Tuesday, April 26. Northridge is to play an NLC contest at Warsaw Wednesday, April 27.
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