Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
While many students spent spring break basking in the sun, the Warsaw baseball team took advantage of the mild Indiana weather and hit the field for some early season action.
The Tigers played their fourth game of the week against Wabash and added another mark in the win column with a 15-4 five-inning victory.
Wabash struck first in the battle of the black and orange, and the Apaches scored three runs on a Brandon Nordman home run and took that 3-0 lead into the bottom of the first.
However, the Tigers were prepared to attack offensively as well. After Jason Barrett reached first base on an error, Steve Siebenmorgen helped the cause with a single to put Warsaw runners on second and third. Don Kennedy stepped to the plate next and hit a double that brought both Barrett and Siebenmorgen across the plate to reduce the Wabash lead to one. Then John Leininger laced a double to bring Kennedy home and tie the score at three.
But the Warsaw squad was not done yet. Nelson hit a two-out single to score Leininger's run and the Tigers took a 4-3 lead into the second inning.
"I think coming back in the first and hitting well in that inning was very important," said Warsaw coach Will Shepherd. "After their kid (Nordman) hit the home run they clearly had momentum in their favor. It was crucial for us to make outs and then show their pitchers and defense that they would have to play a full game to beat us."
After a 1-2-3 inning from the Apaches offense, the Tiger bats were ready to strike again. The Tigers exploded for six hits in the second and scored seven runs as they batted through the order to extend their lead to eight, 11-3.
In the top of third, Wabash produced one run to cut the Tiger lead back to seven, but the Warsaw bats came alive again in the bottom. Siebenmorgen hit a two-out single and Kennedy reached first on an error to put runners at first and second for the Tigers. Then Leininger sent a home run over the left field fence to drive in three more Warsaw runs to make the score 14-4.
With a runner on first in the fourth, the Tigers turned a double play to clear the bases. Craig Lankford, who entered the lineup in the fourth to pitch for the Tigers, struck out the next Wabash batter to get Warsaw out of the inning.
Warsaw scored one run in the fourth and held Wabash scoreless in the top of the fifth to earn a 15-4 victory.
"I am very happy with today's game," said Shepherd. "I couldn't be happier with our offensive performance. This team has a chance to be very good offensively. They played smart today. They were disciplined and used the count to their favor.
"We also played well defensively. That was probably the thing that was most pleasing to me. If you team our offense with solid defense, I really believe we can play with anybody."
The Tigers, now 3-1 on the season, will face the Elkhart Central Blue Blazers at 4:30 p.m. today at Tiger Field.
WARSAW 15, WABASH 4
WABASH AB R H RBI
Honeycutt cf 2 1 1 0
Palascak lf 2 1 2 0
Dials rf 2 0 0 1
LaMar c 3 1 2 0
Nordman p 2 1 1 3
Hochendoner 3b 2 0 0 0
Smith 2b 2 0 1 0
Lambert 1b 2 0 0 0
Rensberger ss 2 0 0 0
Totals 19 4 7 4
WARSAW AB R H RBI
Riley cf 4 2 1 0
Barrett rf 4 2 1 1
Stanley 3b 4 1 1 1
Siebenmorgen c 3 3 3 0
Kennedy lf 4 3 2 2
Leininger dh 3 3 2 6
Nelson 1b 2 1 2 0
Walmer 2b 3 0 0 0
Grubbs ss 2 0 1 1
Sherman 2b 1 0 1 1
Koser ss 0 0 0 0
Totals 30 15 14 12
E -ÊWabash 4, Warsaw 0. LOB -ÊWabash 4, Warsaw 5. 2B -ÊRiley, Kennedy 2, Leininger, Honeycutt. 3B -ÊBarrett. HR -ÊLeininger, Nordman.
IP H R ER BB SO
Wabash
Nordman 1.1 8 9 4 0 0
LaMar 1.2 3 4 0 1 0
Graf 1.0 2 1 1 1 1
Warsaw
Grimm 3.0 5 4 4 1 3
Lankford 2.0 2 0 0 1 2
WP -ÊGrimm.
