If fans only saw the first and sixth innings of Monday's high school baseball game between Warsaw and NorthWood, they didn't miss much in between at Tiger Field.
In a 12-4 Northern Lakes Confernece victory, Warsaw opened the game with seven runs in the first and another five in the sixth, improving to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference.In the opening inning, Warsaw jumped out to a 7-2 lead, scoring those runs on four hits and four walks.
"It's something we've been battling all year," NorthWood coach Nick Davis said about his team digging early holes. "We need to find guys that can come out and throw strikes. It's a pretty good ballgame if we come out and throw strikes in that first inning."
After drawing 11 walks in a 10-0 win at Plymouth Friday, Warsaw coaxed another 11 against the NorthWood Panthers (5-5, 1-3 NLC).
"We're doing a better job of understanding our strike zone," Warsaw coach Mike Hepler said. "We really are, and it's starting to show by us putting some runs on the board."
In their four NLC games, the Tigers have outscored the opposition 43-12, but that also shows the defense has been doing pretty well, too.
Junior Joey Hickerson was the latest Warsaw pitcher to get a win. After giving up two runs in the first, Hickerson settled down to go five innings, surrendering five hits and striking out four.
Warsaw's 7-2 advantage was cut to 7-3 in the sixth, but the home team opted to start swinging the bats in the bottom of the frame and it paid off.
Junior Darin Lursen opened the home half with a single, followed by back-to-back doubles by seniors Josh Witt and James Miglin, with Witt's two-bagger scoring Lursen from second.
With the lead pushed to 8-3, junior Aaron Christenberry pushed another two runs across with a single, before junior Chris O'Hara and senior Taylor Franzen drew consecutive walks to load the bases.
Warsaw scored two more runs, one off a double-play ground out and another off a wild pitch, but by that point, the outcome had been decided.
"I think we're doing everything we expected to do," Hepler said. "We're playing good baseball. Now, the games are going to start piling up on us and we need to be ready."
The Tigers' next game is Wednesday at home against Northridge, a team Warsaw tied for a share of the conference title in 2009.
"They're going to be a good, solid club - no question about it," Hepler said about Northridge. "They'll play the game hard, we'll play the game hard and both teams will be fun to watch."
