Wildcats gain momentum as sectional nears
May 18, 2021 at 9:02 p.m.
Wildcats gain momentum as sectional nears
By Will Fehlinger-
After LHS plated three runs in the opening half-inning off senior Brady Brandenburg, Wildcat hurlers – senior Garrett Ertel relieved his teammate with one on and two out in the top of the fourth – settled down on the mound to wait for offense to pick up.
The bats did finally awaken, and then some, in the fifth and sixth stanzas. Scoring three runs in the bottom of five, FC went up by one at 4-3 only to have the Tigers knot the game in their next at-bat. Not shaken, the Wildcats batted around in the bottom of the frame off starter Brayden York and reliever Evan Lohmiller to add four more and win 8-4.
Designated hitter Adam Daugherty led off the fifth by drawing a base on balls. A strikeout later, senior Joe Fields laced a triple to the gap in right-center field to score the junior from first. Chase Burton was hit by a pitch and Brant Ertel walked to load the bases. Hunter Geis then rolled one to the right side; the force play went to second and allowed Fields to come home with the tying run. G. Ertel shot a base hit into left field to plate Burton.
Pinch-hitter Connor Bellamy started the small Tiger rally in the sixth by legging out a single to shortstop. Nolen Vertz sacrificed Bellamy to second and the small ball run scored when Colin Mueller went back up the middle for an RBI single. Burton ended the inning nicely by snagging a line drive and stepping on first base to catch the napping Mueller.
The long and productive FC sixth started with York beaning catcher Austin Short and Kristian Prows was called upon as the courtesy runner. Daugherty walked for a second straight time, leading to coach Nick Tremain replacing York with Lohmiller. The junior quickly struck out the next two batters, but the Wildcats weren’t quite done.
Burton coaxed a 2-out walk to put runners at every base. Their stay there was short-lived after the younger Ertel brother drilled a double to the opposite field, knocking in three to make it 7-4. He would go to third on a wild pitch and come home on Geis’ infield single to the third baseman. A strikeout later stranded Geis and G. Ertel.
In Lawrenceburg’s last chance, the Tigers got a runner to third after a throwing error and groundball out. Hunter Chase popped out to B. Ertel at second for the final out.
The LHS rally in the first began with one out. Ethan Weimer walked, and York singled to left. Kyle Heeney reached on a fielding error, giving the Tigers three on with one out. Chase’s flyball to right turned into a sacrifice as Weimer scored the game’s first run. A single to right by Devin Fluhmann scored two more before Brandenburg fanned Vertz to leave two on.
FC had just one baserunner through the first two frames. But in the third, Daugherty beat out an infield hit and, two outs later, Burton took ball four. A throwing error on the Tiger third baseman eventually led to Daugherty scoring.
The win went to Garrett Ertel as he pitched the final 3-plus innings. York took the loss.
Batesville leads the way in conference with a 9-2 mark, followed by FC, South Dearborn and East Central all at 8-4. The Wildcats have a chance to be co-champions, needing a pair of wins over Rushville and some help on other results. A visit to Cambridge City Friday precedes the Lawrenceburg sectional; FC will face the winner of Batesville-SD next Friday.
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After LHS plated three runs in the opening half-inning off senior Brady Brandenburg, Wildcat hurlers – senior Garrett Ertel relieved his teammate with one on and two out in the top of the fourth – settled down on the mound to wait for offense to pick up.
The bats did finally awaken, and then some, in the fifth and sixth stanzas. Scoring three runs in the bottom of five, FC went up by one at 4-3 only to have the Tigers knot the game in their next at-bat. Not shaken, the Wildcats batted around in the bottom of the frame off starter Brayden York and reliever Evan Lohmiller to add four more and win 8-4.
Designated hitter Adam Daugherty led off the fifth by drawing a base on balls. A strikeout later, senior Joe Fields laced a triple to the gap in right-center field to score the junior from first. Chase Burton was hit by a pitch and Brant Ertel walked to load the bases. Hunter Geis then rolled one to the right side; the force play went to second and allowed Fields to come home with the tying run. G. Ertel shot a base hit into left field to plate Burton.
Pinch-hitter Connor Bellamy started the small Tiger rally in the sixth by legging out a single to shortstop. Nolen Vertz sacrificed Bellamy to second and the small ball run scored when Colin Mueller went back up the middle for an RBI single. Burton ended the inning nicely by snagging a line drive and stepping on first base to catch the napping Mueller.
The long and productive FC sixth started with York beaning catcher Austin Short and Kristian Prows was called upon as the courtesy runner. Daugherty walked for a second straight time, leading to coach Nick Tremain replacing York with Lohmiller. The junior quickly struck out the next two batters, but the Wildcats weren’t quite done.
Burton coaxed a 2-out walk to put runners at every base. Their stay there was short-lived after the younger Ertel brother drilled a double to the opposite field, knocking in three to make it 7-4. He would go to third on a wild pitch and come home on Geis’ infield single to the third baseman. A strikeout later stranded Geis and G. Ertel.
In Lawrenceburg’s last chance, the Tigers got a runner to third after a throwing error and groundball out. Hunter Chase popped out to B. Ertel at second for the final out.
The LHS rally in the first began with one out. Ethan Weimer walked, and York singled to left. Kyle Heeney reached on a fielding error, giving the Tigers three on with one out. Chase’s flyball to right turned into a sacrifice as Weimer scored the game’s first run. A single to right by Devin Fluhmann scored two more before Brandenburg fanned Vertz to leave two on.
FC had just one baserunner through the first two frames. But in the third, Daugherty beat out an infield hit and, two outs later, Burton took ball four. A throwing error on the Tiger third baseman eventually led to Daugherty scoring.
The win went to Garrett Ertel as he pitched the final 3-plus innings. York took the loss.
Batesville leads the way in conference with a 9-2 mark, followed by FC, South Dearborn and East Central all at 8-4. The Wildcats have a chance to be co-champions, needing a pair of wins over Rushville and some help on other results. A visit to Cambridge City Friday precedes the Lawrenceburg sectional; FC will face the winner of Batesville-SD next Friday.
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