Facing off against Triton in a nonconference baseball game Thursday, Wawasee was able to get off to a fast start, scoring seven runs in the first two innings, which was more than enough for them to hold onto in a 9-0 victory.
Wawasee opened up the game with a blitzkrieg of offense, as the first four hitters for the Warriors singled to get on base. Addison Coy and Ryan Menzie would earn RBIs by bringing home Ty Brooks and Kaleb Salazar, putting two runs on the board before recording an out.
They wouldn’t stop there, as Coy would come around and score on an errant pickoff throw over to first, and Kane Dukes would reach on a fielder’s choice and be brought home on an RBI groundout by Hunter Fiedeke. The fifth run of the first inning would end up scoring on a wild pitch, giving Wawasee a 5-0 lead before even taking the field.
It would stay that way as the second inning got going, as Warrior starter Finley Miller got through the top of the Trojan lineup fairly quickly, allowing only Drew Bingamon to reach on a hit-by-pitch and Lucas Kaufman on a fielder’s choice. The Warriors would extend their lead on their second trip up, as Salazar would lead off the inning with his second hit of the night after a 10-pitch at bat. Menzie would drive him in for his second RBI of the game, and Coy was brought home by Dukes on a sacrifice fly to make it a 7-0 game.

    Freshman Finley Miller of Wawasee stretches off of the mound to deliver a pitch during Thursday evening's game at Triton...Nieter

Zac Greer led off the bottom of the second with Triton’s first hit of the game, and after Maddox Dennie also reached on an error at short, the Trojans were in business. It looked as if the Trojans scored their first run of the game when Isaiah Vaca drove Greer in on a sacrifice fly, but Greer did not tag up at third, and the inning was over just like that.
After a rough first two innings, Bingamon settled in on the mound in the top of the third, retiring all three hitters he faced to get Triton back to the plate in a hurry. The Trojans came close once again to getting on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame, but were once again foiled. Brian Wescher led the inning off with a walk and reached third on a single by Bingamon. Wescher tried to take home on a wild pitch, but a split second of hesitation was all Menzie needed behind the plate to get the ball to Miller for the second out of the inning. Bingamon would end the threat stranded at second.
The Wawasee bats that were incredibly loud to start the game had now suddenly gone silent, as Bingamon went 1-2-3 once again in the top of the fourth to make it seven straight hitters retired. Feideke took over for Miller on the mound in the bottom half, and outside of a walk issued to Dennie and a single by Kohan Hensley, he was able to escape the inning with no damage being done, striking out Vaca with runners on second and third to end the inning.
Bingamon’s retired batter streak would come to an end at nine when Reed Reidenbach singled in the top of the fifth, but that was the only blemish on what was otherwise another great inning for the sophomore. Feideke got the first two outs in the bottom of the fifth in a hurry, before running into some trouble. A single by Bingamon followed by a walk and a hit batter led to the bases being loaded for Greer, but once again, the threat was neutralized as he popped out to Brooks at first.
Salazar’s third hit of the game was the only offense the Warriors could muster in the top of the sixth, as Bingamon added two more strikeouts to his total to make it five on the night while giving the opportunity back to his hitters. Running out of chances, the Trojans were unable to get any offense going besides Hensley’s second hit of the game. Heading into the seventh, Wawasee still led by seven.
That lead would grow to nine as Reidenbach powered a two-run homer over the left field fence in the top of the seventh. The Trojans were held hitless in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
Triton (6-8) takes on Pioneer in a doubleheader Saturday while Wawasee (7-7) hosts Mishawaka Friday.