Wawasee baseball team beats Manchester 14-10 in 5 innings
Posted
Mark Howe-mhowe@timesuniononline.com
SYRACUSE – Rain didn’t stop Manchester and Wawasee from playing baseball, but it did keep them from getting a full game in. With the exception of the bottom of the fourth inning, each team scored every time it came to bat. The difference was Wawasee sent 12 batters to the plate in the second, and another 10 in the third on its way to a 14-10, five-inning home win Thursday night. The game was called after Manchester hit in the fifth inning due to darkness. Rain delayed the start of the game by about 35 minutes, and a second line of rain, heavier than the first, came along in the Wawasee half of the second inning. The umpires let the teams play on, and the Warriors scored eight runs on five hits. “We had a couple of boo-boos in the field, then we walked a couple of guys and got kinda got ourselves into some trouble and couldn’t quite get out of it,” said Squire head coach Jack Rupley. “Sometimes, that’s baseball at the high school level and that’s what happens. “I know they worked on the mound a time or two, and that makes it tough, and the ball’s wet for a pitcher that struggled a little bit. But (Wawasee) had to deal with it, too.” The game started with things going Manchester’s way. Bailey Ness led off with a double to left, sparking a three-run rally in the first off Wawasee starting pitcher Harrison Shortill. “One of the things I talked to the boys about was that we can’t keep continuing to spot people runs,” Wawasee head coach Brent Doty said. “We did it last night (Wednesday vs. Wabash) and we did it again tonight.” The Warriors answered when Chase Rookstool hit his second two-run, first-inning homer of the week. Rookstool finished with three hits and a walk in four plate appearances. “He’s seeing the ball really well. I think he’s a guy who has the potential to play at the next level, if he gets the right looks. He’s got a great swing, nice and quiet, and he’s not afraid to go backside when he gets his pitch,” Doty said. Lucas Garza, Jacob Garcia and Reider Hunley also had doubles for the Warriors, who collected nine hits in the game. “I’m very happy with how we performed offensively,” said Doty. “We were really disciplined, waiting for pitches that we can hit, and not chasing their pitches.” Trailing 10-5 after two innings, Manchester did its best to chip away at the deficit. They pushed across a run in the third after the first two hitters were retired, and score twice in each of the last two innings before running out of daylight. In their first two games, Manchester has scored 22 runs in 10 innings, but Rupley said on Wednesday Fort Wayne Wayne “gave away a few runs to us.” He added his team was better offensively at Warrior Field. Ness doubled twice, and Manchester had 13 singles in the game. “Our plate approach was a heck of a lot better tonight, because we had a long ‘discussion’ about that last night,” he said. “We were a lot better with our plate discipline and selectiveness, and I think that helped us a little bit. “I feel we have some kids that can hit the ball as long as we try and stay within ourselves and not try and do too much.” Both teams are now off for spring break. Manchester (1-1) will resume action April 9 with a trip to Caston for two games against the Comets and South Bend Career Academy. Wawasee (2-0-1) travels to Kendallville April 11 for its first road game of the season against East Noble.
