Warsaw baseball coach Mike Hepler shares a few words of wisdom with pitcher Kevin Hawley Friday night at Goshen. The Tigers routed the Redskins 11-0 in NLC play (Photos by Scott Davidson)

GOSHEN – The Warsaw baseball team capped an impressive week of play in the Northern Lakes Conference Friday night with one more impressive performance.

The Tigers made it a clean sweep of league foes this week by blanking host Goshen 11-0 in five innings in NLC play at Phend Field.

Junior Caleb Moneyheffer was money in the bank with two hits and four RBI to lead the Warsaw rout of the Redskins.

Senior Jared Lemler drove in three runs for the Tigers and junior leadoff hitter Brandon Shipp reached base in all four of his at-bats and scored three runs.

Warsaw, which outscored Elkhart Memorial, Wawasee and Goshen by a 25-0 count in its three NLC wins in the last five days, improves to 7-6 overall and 6-3 in league play.

Goshen, which lost 9-1 at Warsaw back on April 17, drops to 5-10 overall and 3-6 in NLC action with its third league loss this week.

Warsaw coach Mike Hepler was understandably a happy man Friday night.

“Right now, we really have a good energy and a good tempo to our play,” said Hepler. “It’s good to watch and it’s good to coach.  Everyone knows their roles and are doing their job.

“We kind of struggled with our identity early on in the season and now the kids know their roles. We’ve become more consistent because we’ve been able to get outside and get into a more regular practice and game routine.

“The reps we are getting in games is building our confidence. Our intangibles are coming together and it’s a team that is starting to believe in itself.”

Warsaw senior Shay Hepler takes a pitch Friday night versus Goshen.

Warsaw wasted no time in putting the hosts in a hole. The Tigers dented the scoreboard with a five spot in the top of the first inning. Shipp and No. 2 hitter senior Josh Frantz got it going with quality at-bats as each drew walks. Senior Shay Hepler clubbed an RBI single, Moneyheffer followed with an RBI double, Lemler smacked an RBI single and junior Tanner Balazs blasted an RBI triple in the frame as Warsaw sent nine batters to the plate.

“We have a good lineup and the guys do a good job putting the ball in play,” Hepler said. “That’s what we want them to do. Brandon has done a nice job since we moved him into the leadoff spot (from No. 9) a week ago. He has good patience. Him and Josh are both about 5-7 so they are tough to throw strikes to.”

The Tigers added three more runs in the second with Moneyheffer plating a pair with a two-run single. Senior Jason Ferguson also had an RBI single in the frame. Warsaw scored three more tallies in the third as Lemler produced a two-run single after Moneyheffer had drawn a bases-loaded walk.

Moneyheffer, hitting from the No. 5 hole as the Warsaw designated hitter, had his big night after being ill on Thursday and missing school and practice.

Sophomore Kevin Hawley tossed a five-hitter in an 11-0 five-inning win at Goshen Friday night.

Sophomore Kevin Hawley went the distance on the hill for Warsaw. The right-hander allowed five hits, two of them of the infield variety, and had two strikeouts and two walks.

Hawley, now 1-1, joins teammates Ferguson (in a 10-0 win over Memorial Monday) and Tyler LaFollette and Justin Oberlin (in a 4-0 win over Wawasee Wednesday)  in throwing shutouts this week for a deep Tiger pitching corps which is without senior Forde Ness right now due to an elbow injury.

“Kevin keeps people off balance at the plate and he’s frustrating to bat against,” said Hepler. “For a sophomore, he has nice poise out there.”

Goshen starter Sylas Buller, who took the loss in the first game versus Warsaw, was saddled with the setback again Friday night. The senior lasted just one inning.

The Redskins committed three errors in the loss, while the Tigers played error-free defense.

Warsaw hosts Bremen Saturday for a twinbill at 10 a.m. The Tigers then host Plymouth Monday, Elkhart Central Tuesday, play at NorthWood Wednesday, host Tippecanoe Valley Thursday, Northridge Friday and play at Carroll next Saturday (May 11).

Goshen hosts Westview Saturday at 10 a.m. and then plays at Fairfield at 2 p.m.

Goshen won the JV contest by a 6-5 final Friday night. Nic Light had a double for Warsaw. Austin Perdieu took the pitching loss. The Tiger JV, now 8-6 overall and 5-4 in the NLC, plays at Fairfield Saturday at 10 a.m.