NorthWood’s Vincent Herschberger drives in a run during the Panthers’ 7-1 win at Wawasee Friday afternoon. (Photos by Mike Deak)

SYRACUSE – Wawasee continues to struggle offensively as the Northern Lakes Conference baseball season unfolds, managing just five hits in a 7-1 loss to visiting NorthWood Friday afternoon.

Wawasee, which has scored just three runs in its first three NLC games – all losses – this week, strung together opportunities that didn’t materialize into runs.

Wawasee’s Jacob Garcia lays down a bunt.

The Warriors scored its only run in the fourth to pull within 2-1 on the scoreboard. Chase Rookstool led off the innings with an infield single, eventually scoring on an errant pick-off attempt at third base. Wawasee then got runners around to second and third, only to have them stranded.

Again getting runners on second and third in the bottom of the fifth after Rylan Kuhn was hit by a pitch and Lucas Garza pounded a double to deep center, Wawasee couldn’t find the right code to score. NorthWood relief pitcher Vincent Herschberger had a lot to do with that, getting an easy groundout and strikeout to end the threat.

The Warriors would strand seven on base, five of those in scoring position.

“I think we had a great approach at the plate today and swung the bats well,” said Wawasee head coach Brent Doty. “Over the course of time the law of averages says those will become hits. It just takes time, and that’s why we get a long season. We can get this thing turned around quickly.”

NorthWood spotted itself solo runs in the first and second innings on a sacrifice fly by Chad Sellers and RBI double from Brock Beehler. Drew Minnich doubled in a run in the fifth, and Herschberger would help his cause with an RBI groundout to put NorthWood up 4-1.

Tim Conley chases down a fly ball.

A throwing error in the sixth allowed two Panther runs to score and Payton Bear concluded the scoring with an RBI double in the seventh.

The win by NorthWood extends its winning streak over Wawasee to 11 games overall, and nine NLC games in a row dating back to May 9, 2011, the last time Wawasee beat NorthWood head-to-head.

“I thought our guys did a phenomenal job for us, we just ran into some bad breaks and NorthWood played some really good baseball today,” Doty said. “We are playing a lot of baseball this week. We’ll get there and go back to work and try to get two tomorrow and build upon that.”

Rookstool led Wawasee with two hits and the lone run scored. Lucas Garza and Jamie Slabaugh each doubled for the Warriors. Harrison Shortill took the loss, working 4.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk. Garza worked the rest of the way, allowing six hits and three runs.

Sellers got the win for the Panthers, working 4.1 innings of four-hit, one-run ball and fanning three. Herschberger was stellar, giving up just one hit and fanning three in relief to get the long save.

Vinny Miranda had a hit and two runs scored for NorthWood. Bear and Minnich each had two hits.

The JV game was all NorthWood in a 14-0 final.

Wawasee will get back at it Saturday morning as part of the Wawasee Invite. The Warriors will host South Bend Riley in game one with Heritage and Lowell playing opposite at 10 a.m. Championship and consolation games will start approximately 30 minutes after round one ends.

Brant Mast fires to first to get an out for NorthWood.