With their offense beginning to get going in recent games, the Warsaw baseball team continued the trend on Wednesday, as the Tigers cruised past Tippecanoe Valley for a 21-0 victory over their local rivals. Twelve of those runs came in what was a massive first inning.
Patience was definitely a virtue for the Tiger hitters in the top of the first inning, as the team’s ability to work the count paid dividends almost immediately. Five of the first six hitters that took the plate drew walks for Warsaw, with the lone exception being Wyatt Stapleton, who drove in the first run of the game with an RBI double. Two more runs would score on a wild pitch, as Quinton Brock used some heads-up baserunning to make it home all the way from second.
“Obviously, everybody wants to hit, so I felt like our team did a great job not settling and waiting for their pitch,” head coach Andy Manes said. “We showed a great deal of patience at the plate today and it paid off.”
That was just the beginning. The team ended up scoring 12 runs on just three hits in the first inning, as nine walks and an error paved the way for the huge frame. Brant Martin brought home three of those runs, the first of which coming on a ground out and the second on a bases-loaded single his second time at bat. Before the Vikings even took the plate, they found themselves in a deep hole.
Despite having to wait a bit longer than he probably expected to take the mound for the first time, Tiger starter Reed Nelson didn’t miss a beat once he got up there, retiring the first three hitters he saw, two by the way of strikeout, to send things to the second inning rather quickly.
They’d repay him by giving him two more runs to work with. Leadoff man Mason O’Malley was hit to begin the frame and would eventually come around to score on a ground ball by Stapleton. A misplay on the grounder allowed the Warsaw shortstop to reach safely, and he’d eventually be brought home on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Dippon.

    Appearing to be some sort of contortionist, Tippecanoe Valley junior Brent Miller reaches back before delivering his pitch....Nieter
Valley catcher Braxton Alderfer led off the bottom of the second with a single into left for the team’s first hit of the game. He’d make it no further than first base though, as with one out in the inning, a line drive straight into the glove of Dippon at first resulted in an easy double play to end the second.
The Vikings were able to use a double play of their own, this one of the 6-4-3 variety, to hold Warsaw scoreless for the first time in the top of the third. Zac Miller took the mound in the bottom of the inning, retiring two hitters on groundouts before striking out the third to face the minimum.
“Our pitching was great today and that’s the way it’s going to have to be all season,” Manes said. “If we’re going to want to make some noise, that’s where it’s going to come from.”
After being held scoreless in the third, the Tigers added five more runs in the top of the fourth. Martin added two more RBIs on a single to give him five on the day, and Logan Kim had two of his own with a base hit into right. The offensive output made it 19-0.
Hunter Paxton led off the bottom half of the frame with Valley’s second hit of the game, but as was the case the first time around, no further damage would occur. This sent things to the fifth, which ended up being the final inning of the game.
Warsaw added two more runs to bring their final total to 21. The first of which came on a sacrifice fly for Oliver Nisen. Heading to the bottom of the fifth, it was business as usual for the Tiger pitching, as O’Malley took to the mound and struck out all three hitters he faced to slam the door shut on a dominant performance.
Warsaw (3-1) is at Huntington North on Thursday while Valley (0-2) is at LaVille.