May 9, 2023 at 6:43 p.m.
Bearcats blasted
Freshman tosses shutout as bats come alive
Bearcats blasted
By Andrew Balko-
MUNCIE — The bats showed up early for the Patriots.
A freshman pitcher nearly threw a no-hitter.
The defense was mostly clean.
The Jay County High School baseball team’s overall dominance helped it snap a four-game losing streak by beating the Muncie Central Bearcats 10-0 Monday.
The Patriots had been sliding, losing three games last week, two of which were by the mercy rule.
“We played well,” coach Todd Farr said. “It’s good, especially coming off the weekend where we had a couple of losses. It’s good to get back in the win column.”
Jay County jumped on the Bearcats right out of the gate. Josh Dowlen led off the game with a double to left field, followed by Jackson Edwards’ triple that scored him.
“I was trying to get our momentum going right from the get go,” Dowlen said. “I missed our doubleheader Saturday. I knew coming in this game I had to get us going …
“Just to get that hit and get us going with a double really boosted everyone’s morale and got us going right from the beginning.”
Sam Myers followed Edwards’ triple with a single to plate the second run of the inning. The Patriots nearly scored another run on a shot from Ryne Goldworthy that would have found its way to the wall if it wasn’t for right fielder Mason Carrier making a diving play to catch the line drive.
The start to bottom of the first didn’t look as promising. Freshman Gage Wendel walked Trenton French on four straight pitches to leadoff the inning. Drew Schemenaur went out to talk to him, but it didn’t seem to help much as he walked Logan Campbell on five pitches.
Assistant coach Josh Atkinson then went and visited Wendel on the mound. Whatever he said worked, as Wendel fired a strike and then incited a ground ball to third base that Parker Nichols fielded and stepped on the bag to record the first out. The next batter popped out into an infield fly, leaving runners in second and first with two outs.
In the middle of the next at bat, Wendel turned and caught Campbell leaning at second base, forcing a rundown that resulted in the third out of the inning without giving up a run.
“(Atkinson) said (to) focus, try to find the zone, rely on the guys behind me, so I did,” Wendel said. “Threw a couple strikes and it helped me out.
“I relied on the pitching coaches to help me out. They saw it and I read it and I relied on the guys to help me out.”
Once Wendel got past the first-inning jitters, he dominated the Bearcats. He only gave up one more walk throughout the rest of the game. Going into the fifth inning, Muncie Central was hitless. That ended as Logan Grady recorded a single to left field. It wouldn’t hurt the Patriots, as he was a part of the 4-6-3 double play that ended the game.
“I just tried to come in as confident as possible,” Wendel said. “(My teammates) helped me. They were cheering me up. Confidence is key right there.”
The offense for the Patriots did not stop at just the first inning. They exploded in the fourth for five runs on five hits.
After a groundout, Schemenaur walked and Parker Nichols hit a single. They attempted a double-steal and were both safe after third baseman Gage Emberton lost the ball trying to tag Cody Rowles, who was Schemenaur’s courtesy runner.
Dowlen then hit a sacrifice fly to score the first run of the inning.
“(The top) was productive and when the bottom guys can at least get on base when we get those guys back around we can make some things happen,” Farr said.
Edwards once again followed Dowlen’s lead hitting a single to score another run.
The Patriots continued to mash with RBI singles by Myers and Goldsworthy, as well as an RBI triple from Dusty Pearson to push their lead 7-0.
They scored three more runs in the fifth inning on singles from Dowlen and Pearson as well as a ground ball that scored a run by Edwards.
All eight at bats from Dowlen and Edwards were productive, either getting a hit, drawing a walk or driving in a run.
“Honestly, I was thinking, sitting on the fastball, not letting good pitches go by so you don’t have to face the junk and getting out there quick to get on base and help my team out the best I can,” Edwards said. “It’s good to get a nice hit and get the bats going. That brings energy to the whole team.”
A freshman pitcher nearly threw a no-hitter.
The defense was mostly clean.
The Jay County High School baseball team’s overall dominance helped it snap a four-game losing streak by beating the Muncie Central Bearcats 10-0 Monday.
The Patriots had been sliding, losing three games last week, two of which were by the mercy rule.
“We played well,” coach Todd Farr said. “It’s good, especially coming off the weekend where we had a couple of losses. It’s good to get back in the win column.”
Jay County jumped on the Bearcats right out of the gate. Josh Dowlen led off the game with a double to left field, followed by Jackson Edwards’ triple that scored him.
“I was trying to get our momentum going right from the get go,” Dowlen said. “I missed our doubleheader Saturday. I knew coming in this game I had to get us going …
“Just to get that hit and get us going with a double really boosted everyone’s morale and got us going right from the beginning.”
Sam Myers followed Edwards’ triple with a single to plate the second run of the inning. The Patriots nearly scored another run on a shot from Ryne Goldworthy that would have found its way to the wall if it wasn’t for right fielder Mason Carrier making a diving play to catch the line drive.
The start to bottom of the first didn’t look as promising. Freshman Gage Wendel walked Trenton French on four straight pitches to leadoff the inning. Drew Schemenaur went out to talk to him, but it didn’t seem to help much as he walked Logan Campbell on five pitches.
Assistant coach Josh Atkinson then went and visited Wendel on the mound. Whatever he said worked, as Wendel fired a strike and then incited a ground ball to third base that Parker Nichols fielded and stepped on the bag to record the first out. The next batter popped out into an infield fly, leaving runners in second and first with two outs.
In the middle of the next at bat, Wendel turned and caught Campbell leaning at second base, forcing a rundown that resulted in the third out of the inning without giving up a run.
“(Atkinson) said (to) focus, try to find the zone, rely on the guys behind me, so I did,” Wendel said. “Threw a couple strikes and it helped me out.
“I relied on the pitching coaches to help me out. They saw it and I read it and I relied on the guys to help me out.”
Once Wendel got past the first-inning jitters, he dominated the Bearcats. He only gave up one more walk throughout the rest of the game. Going into the fifth inning, Muncie Central was hitless. That ended as Logan Grady recorded a single to left field. It wouldn’t hurt the Patriots, as he was a part of the 4-6-3 double play that ended the game.
“I just tried to come in as confident as possible,” Wendel said. “(My teammates) helped me. They were cheering me up. Confidence is key right there.”
The offense for the Patriots did not stop at just the first inning. They exploded in the fourth for five runs on five hits.
After a groundout, Schemenaur walked and Parker Nichols hit a single. They attempted a double-steal and were both safe after third baseman Gage Emberton lost the ball trying to tag Cody Rowles, who was Schemenaur’s courtesy runner.
Dowlen then hit a sacrifice fly to score the first run of the inning.
“(The top) was productive and when the bottom guys can at least get on base when we get those guys back around we can make some things happen,” Farr said.
Edwards once again followed Dowlen’s lead hitting a single to score another run.
The Patriots continued to mash with RBI singles by Myers and Goldsworthy, as well as an RBI triple from Dusty Pearson to push their lead 7-0.
They scored three more runs in the fifth inning on singles from Dowlen and Pearson as well as a ground ball that scored a run by Edwards.
All eight at bats from Dowlen and Edwards were productive, either getting a hit, drawing a walk or driving in a run.
“Honestly, I was thinking, sitting on the fastball, not letting good pitches go by so you don’t have to face the junk and getting out there quick to get on base and help my team out the best I can,” Edwards said. “It’s good to get a nice hit and get the bats going. That brings energy to the whole team.”
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