One inning hurts Goshen

By GREG KEIM
THE GOSHEN NEWS

Fri, May 16 2008

— One bad inning was a downfall for the Goshen Redskins in a Northern Lakes Conference high school baseball matchup with the Warsaw Tigers.
The visiting Tigers scored six runs in the fifth inning on just three base hits in a 6-2 win over the Redskins Wednesday at Phend Field.
“It’s the same story it is has been all season. We let one inning in every game beat us,” first-year Goshen coach Hal Farmwald said. “The frustrating thing is that veteran players are making mistakes that they should not be.”
Goshen (1-4, 0-2 NLC) hosts Elkhart Memorial Friday. Warsaw is 2-0, 2-1.
Junior right-hander Spencer Oversen pitched the first five innings for the Redskins and had things seemly under control until the fifth.
A walk in the first inning to Braden Kline was the only runner he allowed until Kline singled in the fourth for the Tigers’ first hit of the game.
Oversen then walked Daniel Conrad before Chase Byerly singled to load the bases. The Tigers then appeared to miss a sign and the runners took off. Senior catcher John Sevison tagged out the runner coming home and threw out the runner at second for an inning-ending double play.
“We got that double play to get out of a jam and then didn’t take advantage,” Farmwald said. “We need to jump on a situation like that, but we didn’t. Oversen threw the ball well and deserved a better fate.”
Oversen allowed just four hits while striking out four and walking four.
“Goshen’s pitcher (Oversen) had nice stuff,” Warsaw coach Mike Hepler said. “He had us on our heels and guessing to begin the game. Then things seemed to come unglued.”
Warsaw managed to score its six runs with the help of two walks and three Redskin errors.
“The way the wind was blowing you knew it was not going to drive the ball into the gaps,” Hepler said. “It was a day to small ball your way through it and that is what we did.”
Warsaw’s defense and the pitching of Byerly and Josh Miller stranded 12 Goshen runners. Goshen left the bases loaded in both the third and seventh innings.
“”We are just not getting the key hits,” Farmwald said. “We need a couple in situations like that and I think we can turn this corner. The theme of every game has been we need to make plays instead of having the other team make plays on us.”
Senior Brenton Cripe, juniors Brock Bender and Brett Hunter each had two hits for the Redskins.
Goshen scored in the sixth and seventh. Oversen doubled in the sixth and scored on a single by Cripe. Bender doubled to lead off the seventh. Senior Jordan Short followed with a walk. The Warsaw pitcher retired the next two hits before junior Brent Hunter singled to load the bases. Oversen then walked to score Bender.