Third Time No Charm For Tigers
ELKHART – An old sports adage says it’s hard to beat any team three times in the same season.
The Warsaw baseball team, unfortunately, found out just how true that cliche can be on Saturday.
The Tigers, despite a favorable draw, fell to Elkhart Memorial 5-3 in eight innings in a sectional semifinal contest.
The host Crimson Chargers, who had lost twice to the Tigers during the regular season by a combined score of 16-1, erased a 3-0 deficit to claim the Class 4-A sectional win.
Memorial (7-23) advances to play defending sectional champion and No. 2 Elkhart Central (27-1) at noon Monday in the sectional finale. The winner advances to the LaPorte Regional June 1.
Central defeated Northridge 5-0 in the first semifinal game Saturday. Senior Cory Malcom, an Arkansas-Little Rock recruit, fired a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts and no walks in a brilliant pitching performance for Central.
The Blue Blazers beat Memorial 18-2 during the regular season.
Warsaw, which beat Northern Lakes Conference foe Memorial 10-0 and 6-1 earlier this season, was its own worst enemy Saturday. The normally reliable Tiger defense committed three costly errors, including two in the fifth when Memorial scored three runs to tie the game, and also had a pair of base runners picked off first base.
“It’s hard to beat a team three times and we found that out today,” said Warsaw coach Mike Hepler. “Our defense let us down a little bit today and we didn’t play well enough to win with the errors we made.
“It’s frustrating not to play our best baseball today. It’s a real disappointing outcome. There’s no explanation for the two guys getting picked off. They weren’t running.
“Memorial played a real good game. They battled and put a lot of pressure on us. They did a real nice job today.”
Warsaw, which finishes at 12-15, seemingly was in control of the game. The Tigers built a 3-0 lead with a run in the third inning on an RBI double by leadoff hitter Justin Oberlin and a pair in the fourth frame on a two-run double off the bat of Michael Miller.
Memorial took advantage of its opportunities in the top of the fifth to tie it. Brock Herman legged out an infield single and Scottie Clark followed with a single. After a strikeout, an error by shortstop Brandon Shipp enabled Herman to score to make it 3-1. Richard Solomon then put down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Clark to make it 3-2. The Chargers tied it 3-3 as Cameron Maxwell raced home from second after an errant attempted pickoff throw by Warsaw catch Jared Lemler.
The Tiger defense did turn a pair of nice double plays, one in the sixth and one in the seventh.
The Chargers plated a pair in the top of the eighth. Solomon, the No. 2 hitter for Memorial, started the rally with a single. He went to second on a wild pitch and moved to third as he beat the throw from Lemler on a great bunt by Daniel Asbury. Memorial cleanup hitter Jacob Tucker then hit a fly to short center that Hepler gloved and fired a strike to home plate. The bang-bang play resulted in safe call as Solomon slid away from Lemler to make it 4-3.
Hepler vehemently argued the call with home plate umpire Frank Tasler after the pivotal play.
“He was clearly out,” said Hepler of the play after the game. “There’s no doubt in my mind. My catcher tagged him on the shoulder before he hit the plate.”
Memorial added an insurance run to make it 5-3 in the eighth on the third Tiger error of the game, which came after Robert Asbury drew a walk and Derrick Oley singled with two outs.
The Tigers tried to stage a rally in the home half of the eighth. With two outs, Hepler drew a walk and Lemler followed with an infield single. Winning pitcher Tucker then got No. 5 hitter Tyler LaFollette to ground out to shortstop to end the game.
Tucker, a junior lefty, went the distance for Memorial. He allowed eights hits, while striking out four and walking two.
Senior Jason Ferguson went the first seven innings on the hill in a strong effort for Warsaw. He allowed just three hits, while striking out two, walking three and hitting two batters. Junior Caleb Moneyheffer took the loss as he pitched the final inning for the Tigers.
“Jason pitched well today,” said Hepler. “He deserved a better fate. It was looking good up 3-0 and then we let them back in it.
“We had not seen this pitcher and he had us baffled at times.”
Miller and Lemler each had two hits to lead Warsaw.
Solomon had a hit, an RBI and scored a run for Memorial. Herman reached base in all four at-bats and scored a run for the winners.
“We’ve been struggling all year and the thing I’m most proud of is that this team never quit and never died,” said Memorial coach Scott Rost. “That was the case again today.
“We’ve played in holes all year and found a way to climb out of it today. We were able to put pressure on them and create situations in our favor. I feel good for Jacob. He’s had good stuff the last few weeks. I’m proud of him.”
Memorial did not commit an error in the victory.
Warsaw loses six seniors in Josh Frantz, Hepler, Lemler, Forde Ness, Ferguson and Taylor Berelsman.