Knockout no-hitter

MINSTER, Ohio — Minster’s top pitcher, Adam Niemeyer, has been unable to throw for several weeks because of an elbow injury.
On Tuesday, No. 2 hurler Doug Huber took a line drive to the right thumb, making him unavailable.
That left the Wildcats with their third starter, Austin Knapke, on the mound with the sectional championship on the line.
He looked like an ace.
Knapke was nearly perfect against Fort Recovery, holding the Indians hitless as they dropped out of the tournament with a 10-0, five-inning loss to the host team in the Division IV sectional title game.
“It wasn’t our best effort,” said FRHS coach Jerry Kaup. “But (Knapke) pitched awfully well. … You have to give him a lot of credit.”
The only blemish on Knapke’s evening was a walk to Blake Boughman with two outs in the first inning. He sat down the next 13 batters in order, retiring the side in order in the second inning on just three pitches.
He struck out two batters.
“That is not how you draw it up by any means,” said Minster coach Mike Wiss of the injury situation with his team’s pitching staff. “Austin has thrown probably the best baseball that he has ever thrown in the last two to three weeks. He is usually always around the zone.”
The Wildcats (20-6), who won the Division IV state title last season, advance to play the winner of Friday’s sectional championship game between Spencerville and Ottoville in district semifinal action at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Coldwater.
While the Indians struggled at the plate, Minster had runners on base in every inning.
Jared Kahlig of the Tribe escaped without allowing a run in the first inning, but Ethan Wolf got the Wildcats going with a one-out double in the second. They scored five runs — two earned — in the frame on just three hits.
Minster added one run in the third inning, two in the fourth thanks to another error and two in the fifth to end the game early.
“Defensively you have to make plays, and we didn’t do that,” said Kaup. “A good baseball team takes advantage of you if you don’t make the plays, and we didn’t make the plays tonight.”
Despite the defeat, Fort Recovery has been much improved this year after posting just two wins apiece in 2010 and ’11. It has quadrupled that total this season, sitting at 8-16 with games against Memorial (St. Marys) and Marion Local still remaining.
“We’ve been able to be more competitive with a lot of good baseball teams,” said Kaup, whose team also picked up its first Midwest Athletic Conference victory since 2008. “The score tonight doesn’t reflect a very good effort on our part, but all in all we’ve made progress and made steps. Now we just have to make sure we keep climbing that ladder.”


[[In-content Ad]]