5/1/2008 12:20:00 AM
Late-inning rally lifts Cougs to win
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BY JOHN SNODGRASS
Times Bulletin Sports Editor
sports@timesbulletin.com
VAN WERT - Van Wert scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 9-5, wild victory against Crestview Wednesday evening at Smiley Park.
"We finally hit the ball there in the bottom of the sixth inning," Van Wert coach Charlie Witten said. " ... We hit the ball real well. We're a good hitting ball club and it just took us a little bit of time to get moving today."
Wednesday's game had a little bit of everything - good pitching, clutch hitting, untimely miscues and even a triple play.
The Knights (10-4) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Briggs Orsbon reached first on a walk, stole second and scored on a Kyle Balliet RBI single to left. Balliet's single put runners on first and second and a wild pitch moved them to second and third with one out, but Van Wert starter Brooks Elder got the next two batters out to end the inning.
The Cougars (8-12) threatened in the bottom half of the inning, but a triple play ended any hope of scoring.
With runners on first and second and no outs, Karlin Dunlap attempted a sacrifice bunt. Dunlap dropped the bunt perfectly, but fell down in the box while doing it. Crestview's Tony Burger fielded the ball down the third base line and tossed it back to Ian Clay who was covering third from short. Clay then easily threw out Dunlap at first and Balliet fired a seed to Burger at third to tag out Brock Thatcher.
"The triple play was unique, but the way that our kids turned it was very impressive," Crestview coach Jim Wharton said. "You had the bunt that goes down - which was a good bunt - our third baseman comes in, our shortstop is hollering '3'; we make a throw across the entire diamond to first, a strike, and then another strike coming back. You don't see that very often at the high school level."
Van Wert bounced back to take the lead in the second when Brock Bell led off the inning by getting hit. He scored during the next at bat when Brooks Elder ripped a ball to left that bounced out of Jordan Gibson's glove. Elder ended up on second on the play and scored on Malachi Murphy's single to right.
A Burger ground-rule double accompanied by a wild pitch tied the game 2-2 in the third.
The Cougars took the lead again in the bottom of the fourth when Murphy walked and then scored on a Steve Sanderson double off the fence in left.
The 3-2 lead lasted into the sixth.
With two down and Ian Zollars at first, Orsbon hit one into the hole between short and second. Cougar shortstop Tyler Putman gloved the ball but could not get it out of his glove and to second for the force.
This opened the door for Tony Springer. The junior shortstop turned on a 1-0 pitch and put it over the fence in left to put the Knights up 5-3.
"He (Springer) twisted his ankle before the game and we were close to pulling him a number of times," Wharton said. "He just wasn't able to turn on the ball. So, that was a gutty performance by him."
Still, Van Wert refused to go away.
The Cougars big bottom of the sixth was highlighted by a two-RBI double off the bat of Murphy and an RBI single by Sanderson in the next at bat. A sacrifice fly by Thatcher added one more and two additional Cougars crossed the plate on a pair of errors.
It would hold up as Putman came on in relief to slam the door.
"Brooks battled," Witten said of his starter. "We had an error in the top of the sixth to give them an extra out and they took advantage of it." Adding: "Put's (Putman) been struggling this year from the mound and he threw the ball well last night (a 14-3 win against Wapakoneta) for an inning and came in and threw the ball well for an inning and a third tonight."
Elder went 5.2 allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Putman went the rest allowing no runs on no hits with no walks.
Nick Ulrey earned the loss going five, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with with five walks and three strikeouts.
Burger went .2, giving up two runs (none earned) on one hit and a walk. Ian Zollars faced the final two Van Wert batters of the game walking one.
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