Kohler, Patriots rough up Wayne

A day after suffering a tough loss to the Class 2A No. 1 Wapahani Raiders, Jay County High School baseball coach Lea Selvey was unsure how his team would respond.
It would have been easy for the Patriots to hang their heads and not play well the following day.
Or, they could return to the field with chips on their shoulders and put the loss behind them.
The latter was true, as the Patriots had 10 straight extra-base hits — including the team’s first home run of the season — in an 11-1, five-inning victory Friday night over the Wayne Generals in five innings.
“I could tell tonight the kids were a little bit on edge,” said Selvey, whose team scored in all four innings. “They were a little grumpy from last night. I wanted to see how they adapted. They came in and took care of business.”
Jay County (4-3) roughed up Wayne pitcher Jerry Mullins from the start. Levi Stant began a six-run first inning, jumping on Mullins’ first pitch for a single through the right side. Levi Long also hit a single, Reynolds followed with a two-run double and scored on an error off the bat of Cole Stigleman.
Then, Andy Kohler launched a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence for his team’s first home run of the season and the first of his career.
“I just hit it,” Kohler said, adding that he wasn’t trying to hit a home run. “With two strikes, I was just trying to hit it.”
And as it sailed over the fence for a two-run homer, it finally gave him gratification that he had the power to ensure he could trot around the bases.
“It was just awesome,” he said. “I always hit the fence, I never hit it over.” He paused. “I hit it over today.”
Kohler also added an RBI double in the second inning — he was one of three Patriots to record multiple hits — and drove in a team-high three RBIs.
“I had a dang good day at the plate,” he said. “Our whole team did pretty good, I’d say.”
After a pair of singles in the first inning, the next 10 hits for Jay County went for extra bases. Josh Vaughn and Long both hit a pair, with Tanner Reynolds, Ethan Myers, Nate Brackman and Chandler Jacks each adding a two-bagger.
Brackman and Jacks both had pinch-hit doubles to start the fourth — Jay County was already up 9-0 at that point — and Myers followed with his to give the Patriots three straight. Selvey commended Brackman and Jacks for coming off the bench to produce for the team.
“It is important because if I have a kid that is struggling that day, it’s good to know I’ve got two or three guys that can come off (the bench) and do that,” he said.
But not many Patriots struggled offensively.
Jacob Geesaman, Cole Stigleman and Mitchell Kunkler were the only players held without a hit, but all three spots in the batting order scored a run. Stigleman reached on an error in the first, swiped second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. He came around to score on Kohler’s home run.
Geesaman had a nearly identical result in the fifth, reaching on an error and swiping second before scoring on Long’s double.
Jacks pinch hit for Kunkler, and scored on a deep shot to right center by Myers, who tried to extend it into the Patriots’ first triple of the season but was thrown out on a solid relay from Wayne second baseman Bryson McKee to Brian Howell at third.
“Give all credit to Jay County,” said Wayne coach Todd Roberts. “They are so fundamentally sound. They come to play baseball. They come ready to swing the bat, and they have a lot of hustle and heart with them too.”
Wayne broke the shutout in the top of the fifth when Mullins reached on an error. He swiped second, and advanced to third on an error. McKee also reached on an error, and Mullins scored when McKee was caught in a rundown between first and second bases.
Mullins pitched all four innings for the Generals, giving up all 11 runs (10 earned) on 12 hits while walking one and striking out three.
Reynolds got the win, facing four above the minimum 15 batters.
He allowed one unearned run on three hits and struck out seven without allowing a walk.
“(It was) a pretty good day for him,” Selvey said. Reynolds was 1-for-1, drove in a pair of RBIs in back-to-back games and was also hit by a pitch twice. “He’s working at it (and) having fun.
“That’s the key … you’ve got to have fun.”