Warsaw’s Brandon Shipp fires to first during the Tigers’ 11-1 win over Tippecanoe Valley Thursday in Warsaw. (Photos by Jim Harris)

WARSAW – “We’ve been talking about how we need to come out from the first pitch and dominate the game, not just feel our way through it.”

Warsaw head coach Mike Hepler could not have been much happier with his team after its latest win. The Tigers throttled their county rival Tippecanoe Valley, 11-1, in just five innings Thursday at Warsaw Community High School.

“We really wanted to see the guys approach the games with more aggression and I thought we did a much better job of that here today,” Hepler added. “We have kind of been feeling bad after losing two games in a row so coming out and getting a run in the first inning was definitely a positive.”

The first inning run, scored by Brandon Shipp, was where the Tiger trouncing began and set a trend for the rest of the game as Warsaw would score at least one run in all five of the innings played. Shipp finished 0-1 with three walks, an RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base.

While Hepler was certainly happy from a coach’s standpoint, he was just as pleased from a father’s point of view.

Tanner Andrews applies the tag to Brandon Shipp at second base.

The coach’s son, Shay, had a great day at the plate to help spark his team’s big win. The senior led off his day with a triple batting in Shipp to give his team the lead in the bottom of the first. Shay would finish the day going 2-2 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored.

“He’s really starting to come along and is swinging the bat well. He’s really been looking to drive the ball and that’s been the difference. He’s starting to get comfortable and having a lot of fun and really starting to lead our team, he leads a lot by example. I’m real proud of him,” the coach added about his son.

One of the two runs scored by Shay came in the third inning, one of seven runs that the Tigers tallied in the inning. With one out in the bottom of the third and the bases loaded, Jared Lemler smacked a ball into right-center to score Josh Frantz and Tyler LaFollette to put the Tigers up 4-0. The runs kept coming after that as five more Tigers would cross home plate before the Vikings could escape the dreadful inning.

Thursday’s big win could not have happened without great play on the defensive side of the ball and thanks to Tyler Balazs, the Tigers had that going for them as well.

Balazs pitched four scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out two Viking batters and to pick up the win for Warsaw. Taylor Berelsman gave up one run and had one strikeout in his one inning of relief, the first ever pitching appearance for the senior.

Jared Lemler makes solid contact for Warsaw.

Picking up that fifth inning hit for Valley was Garrett Bell. The freshman’s bloop single scored Isaac Shewman for the team’s lone run. Bell finished the day 1-2 with the RBI. The only other Viking to get a hit was Eric Hammer, the pitcher. The freshman tried to help himself out with a double in the first inning but was left stranded. On the mound Hammer would pitch three innings, striking out three batters and was charged with eight earned runs.

Pitching the final two innings for Valley was Luke Helton. The freshman gave up three hits, two earned runs and recorded a strike out in his time on the mound.

Frantz and LaFollette would help to end the Viking’s woes in the bottom of the fifth when LaFollette hit a double to score Frantz and give the Tigers the not so dramatic walk off win.

Valley head coach Brandon Cody made it clear that this loss stings, but there is no time to dwell on it for the Vikings.

“Our pitchers struggled to get ahead in the count on them which forced us to throw a lot of fastballs and they (Warsaw) jumped on it,” Cody stated. “Warsaw’s a good hitting team and when you throw them a lot of fastballs they are going to do what they just did.”

Valley’s Dan Miller fires to first.

The Valley coach later added, “I told the guys that they need to ponder on this game a little bit because there were several mistakes. They need to ponder on it a little bit but we still have to move on.”

The Vikings (6-9) will look to rebound against North Judson tomorrow night with the game time set for 5 p.m. in North Judson.

The Tigers (10-9) turn their focus to the biggest game of the year so far as they welcome in Northridge for senior night. The Raiders are currently in first place in the Northern Lakes Conference while Warsaw (7-4 NLC) sits in a tie for third, only three games back of the Raiders with just three NLC games left to play. First pitch is set for 5:15 p.m. following senior night.