By Ben Grossberg
Lead Scout, PBR Indiana

Braves Bash 

Game 1: Munster 7 Terre Haute South 3 

Game 2: Mount Vernon (W) New Haven (L) 

Game 3: Mount Vernon 4 Terre Haute South 1 

The third game of the Braves Bash saw a quality pitching matchup. Mount Vernon went with Junior Trevor Veeck and Terre Haute South put Damon Olds on the bump. Veeck threw four innings sitting 81-83 throughout his four innings of work, while Olds threw six innings sitting 81-84.

Terre Haute South got on the board early scoring a run in the bottom of the first. Jacob Johnson led off the frame with a single to left advancing to second on an error by the left fielder. After Johnson moved to third on a sac bunt, Preston Tofaute brought him in with an infield single. South threatened again in the second getting runners on second and third with one out, but Veeck got a strikeout and a fly out to end the inning.

Olds worked easily through the first three innings, but couldn’t escape damage in the fourth inning. Mt. Vernon got the inning going after an error from the shortstop and a fly ball that found the grass along the right field line. With two runners on base, Veeck stepped up and doubled to left bringing home a run and trying the game. A passed ball gave Mt. Vernon its first lead 2-1. With one runnner on, Mt. Vernon catcher Craig Beeson stepped up and drove a pitch over the left field fence to give Mt. Vernon a 4-1 lead.

South looked like they were going to answer after the first two batters in the bottom of the fourth walked , but Veeck got two strikeouts and a fly out to end the threat.

Collin Varner relieved Veeck in the fifth and worked easily through his three innings allowing just one hit and striking out three to get the save. 

Mt Vernon – Veeck: W, 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 SO; 2-3, 2B, RBI, R; Varner: SV, 3 IP, 1 H, 4 SO; Beeson: 1-3, HR, 2 RBI.

TH South – Olds: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 9 SO; Johnson: 2-4, R 

Game 4: Munster 20 New Haven 1 

Munster jumped out of the gates early and never looked back. The first inning for Munster saw 14 batters coming to the plate scoring 10 runs. The inning featured 10 hits, including four doubles and a homerun, with the first five hitters scoring before an out was recorded. The homerun in the inning came in the form of a three run homerun off the bat of Mike Mueller. Craig Dedelow, Joe Jumonville, and Scott Shaner each had two hits in the inning. Shaner and Alex Del Rio each drove in two runs in the inning.

The second inning saw more runs with Munster adding sixth more with Mueller picking up two more RBI. Munster added two more in each of the next two frames to get the lead up to 20-1.

Jonathan Azar started on the mound for Munster and he worked easily through the New Haven lineup. Azar sat 78-81 through his five innings on the mound allowing just one hit, a bloop single over second base. He finished the game with six strikeouts and one walk. 

Munster – Azar: W, 5 IP, 1 H, 6 SO; Mueller: 2-4, HR, 5 RBI; Dudelow: 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Jumonville: 2-2, 2B, RBI; Alo Marado: 3-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Shaner: 2-2, 4 RBI; Del Rio: 1-1, 2B, 3 RBI

Game 5: Mount Vernon 11 Munster 8 

Both teams entered the game 2-0 in the Braves Bash and the game was back and forth. Munster got on the board first with two runs in the top of the first. Alex Del Rio had a RBI double and David Hladek had a RBI single. Mt. Vernon answered back with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Mt. Vernon got their first run on a passed ball and Drake McNamara tied the game with a fielder’s choice that brought in another run. With two outs Craig Beeson came through with a clutch two run single to push Mt. Vernon ahead. However, Munster would answer right back with three of their own. Munster got more RBI from Del Rio and Hladek. Del Rio brought in two runs with his second double of the game and Hladek came through with a two RBI single to give Munster a 5-4 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth Trevor Veeck tied the game with a two out RBI double, but Munster answered back in the top of the fifth with two runs. Craig Dedelow came up with two down and the lefty drove a ball over the left field fence to put Munster up 7-5. Mt. Vernon would come right back though scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning. Southern Illinois commit got things going with a lead off solo homerun. Collin Varner tied the game up with a sacrifice fly and Logan Brown gave Mt. Vernon the lead for good with a RBI single to make the score 8-7.

Mt. Vernon added a some cushion to their lead with three runs in the sixth. River Vanzant and Beeson each doubled in runs and Varner drove in a run on a fielder’s choice. Munster would get one run in the top of the seventh, but Mt. Vernon shut the door on the rally to get a 11-8 victory.

Munster Freshman Connor Manous started the game on the mound. Manour touched 86 a couple times sitting 83-85 in the first. He worked 79-82 through most of his next three innings.

Mount Vernon won the Braves Bash going 3-0. 

Mt. Vernon – McNamara: 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI; Beeson: 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Alec Skalka: 2-4

Munster – Del Rio: 2-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI; Hladek: 2-5, 2 RBI; Joe Jumonville: 2-3, 2B  

Game 6: Terre Haute South 9 New Haven 3 

In the finale of the Braves Bash Terre Haute South jumped on the board early and didn’t look back. South scored in each of their first five at bats. Jacob Johnson got them on the board with a sacrifice fly that brought in Zach Donnelly, who had doubled. South would get two more in the second when a bases loaded error led to two runners coming across the plate.

In the third Cody Brock singled in Johnson to give South a 4-0 lead. Jared Wolfe laid down a perfect bunt with two runners on and the ball was thrown into right field allowing in two more runs and giving South a 6-0 lead. In the fourth after an error and single by Johnson, Austin Slover came up as a pinch hitter and brought in two runs with a double. South would tack on another run in the 5^th to put them up 9-0.

Senior Peter Lannoo got the start on the mound for South. He threw four innings sitting 81-84 throughout his time on the mound. In his four innings Lannoo did not allow a hit while striking out five and giving up one walk to get the win.

New Haven’s offense showed up in the sixth with a three run inning. Owen Doster got the scoring started with a one out RBI single. Nick Vachon and Hayden Graham also drove in runs in the inning. Vachon single with two outs and Graham then drove him in with a double. That is all New Haven would get as South would end the Bash with a 9-3 victory. 

TH South – Lannoo: W, 4 IP, BB, 5 SO; Johnson: 2-2, RBI, SB, R; Brock: 2-4, RBI, R; Slover: 2B, 2 RBI

New Haven – Doster: RBI; Vachon: RBI; Graham: 2B, RBI; Matt Dunfee: 2B