Warriors Beat Rain, Chargers
SYRACUSE – It was as though someone above gave just enough grace Wednesday to let them play it out.
As the final out was tossed from Gage Reinhard to Donovan Navarro to seal Wawasee’s 6-2 win over Elkhart Memorial in Northern Lakes Conference baseball, what had threatened in the approaching skies literally unloaded on Warrior Field. The mild drizzle turned to an unrelenting downpour, followed by a swift whip of lightning that only added to the thunderous sigh of relief for the Wawasee side.
“Tonight was good,” said Wawasee head coach Eric Screeton, who picked up his first win as skipper. “We took the field differently than we did against Warsaw. We took it with a focus, a little bit of a chip on our shoulder. We had a good enthusiasm and effort and I think that showed in our play, it carried over.”
Nate Prescott packed needed punch with his bat against the Chargers, ripping a two-run double in the third inning to give the Warriors a 3-1 lead. Wawasee had loaded the bases in the third with no outs, but struck in consecutive at-bats before Prescott picked up the key hit.
Prescott added a little insurance in the fifth with an RBI single, which Isaac Rigdon then followed with an RBI single of his own to open up a 5-2 lead.
Brett Carson also added an RBI single for the Warriors, which had nine hits in the contest after registering just two overall against Warsaw on Monday.
“I think seeing more pitches and being in the batter’s box is helping us at the plate,” Screeton said of the live bats Wednesday. “We have been working on a lot of stuff indoors and some preseason stuff, but it is hard to really simulate game situations in a gym. It’s just different.
“Nate Hare is really swinging well, Nate Prescott had a couple nice hits for us. Derrick Sorensen had a couple nice at-bats. It’s starting to show. The attitudes are getting there. Hopefully we use this going forward.”
Memorial scored both of its runs in situations. In the second inning, Wawasee pitcher Gage Fannin plunked Brock Herman with the bases loaded. Fannin would then get Cameron Maxwell to ground out to end the threat.
In the fifth, Memorial put runners on first and third, which Robert Asbury drove home a run on a fielder’s choice. After Trey Solomon coaxed a walk, Fannin picked Solomon off trying to bait a rundown long enough to score the run from third, but was tagged out before the run could cross.
The situational play of Wawasee, which had Memorial leave eight runners on base, made Fannin’s day on the hill stand up. The junior hurler worked six innings, giving up seven hits and walking four, but striking out seven.
“We needed that from Gage tonight,” Screeton stated. “Everything starts on the mound. If we get a good, strong pitching performance and want to win the close ones, we need good pitching. Gage did a good job. He threw 30-some pitches in the first inning and battled through some tough situations.
“We turned a nice double play in the second inning for him to get out of a jam. That was a nice momentum turn for us.”
Memorial (2-8, 1-1 NLC) were led by Herman’s three hits. Starting pitcher Jacob Tucker tossed five innings, giving up five hits and fanning four.
Wawasee (1-4, 1-1 NLC) will return to action Friday when it visits NorthWood.
“I think it’s still coming,” Screeton said. “We continue to preach to the guys that if you put in the effort and put the focus in, good things are going to happen. We have been doing that for the most part. Yeah, there have been mistakes, but it comes with the learning curve.”