GOSHEN — An effective varsity pitching debut and a clutch bat and mound performance by a veteran helped Goshen (11-3) edge New Prairie (9-7) 4-3 Saturday, April 28 in non-conference high school baseball at windy Phend Field. 

Junior right-hander Joey Good (6 innings, 3 runs, 8 hits, 0 walks, 1

strikeout) earned the victory for the RedHawks. 

“One of the things he did on the JV was throw strikes and change speeds at a high level,” said Goshen coach Josh Keister of Good.

“Those are two things that translate well to the varsity level whether you throw 90 (mph) or 75. 

“If you can throw a lot of strikes and change speeds, you have the chance to be effective especially when you get some real good defensive play behind you. We’ve been looking for that fourth starter because we’ve got a lot of games piled up.” 

It was the second straight game RedHawks pitching did not allow a walk. 

Cougars coach Mark Schellinger came away impressed with Good. 

“He did a good job of mixing it up,” said Schellinger. “He threw his curveball for a strike.” 

Senior Philip Wertz knocked in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning and the righty pitched the seventh for the save. 

New Prairie used two pitchers — senior right-hander Parker Byard (5 innings, 4 runs, 7 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts) and junior righty Josh Conley (1 nning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts). Byrard took the loss for the Cougars. 

“That was a well-played hugh school baseball game — on both sides,”

said Schellinger. “In the inning they pushed across the run we had a couple walks and they got a bloop single. That’s baseball.” 

Wertz took the mound in relief in the seventh inning. After giving up a bunt single to sophomore pinch-hitter J.C. Turley, he coaxed a double play — senior shortstop Will Koshmider to senior second baseman Austin Bontrager and junior first baseman Austin Cain — to retired Turley and junior hitter Jacob Dockery. 

“(Wertz) got ahead in the count and that gives a chance to be successful,” said Keister. “It keeps the defense on its toes.” 

Conley came on in relief for the Cougars in the sixth inning and retired Goshen in order with two strikeouts. 

Goshen scored one run in the fifth inning against Byard to take a 4-3 lead. 

Wertz blooped a two-out single to left to plate junior Drew Marlow (lead-off owwalk) with the go-ahead run. 

The first two outs of the inning came via a New Prairie around-the-horn double play — junior third baseman Hunter Robinson to sophomore second baseman Frank Turley to first baseman Dockery. 

In the RedHawks fourth, Bontrager led off with a double to center and then was retired in a rundown on a fielder’s choice by senior Joey Peebles —  junior shortstop Jarrod Michael to third baseman Robinson to second baseman Turley. 

A line drive to Michael at short by junior Braxton Kincaid was turned in a double play when Michael fired to first baseman Dockery to get Peebles. 

The Cougars left runners at first and second base fourth inning. The frame ended with a ball struck by Michael hitting junior A.J. Bello (two-out single to left) between first and second. 

In a scoreless Goshen second, Marlow produced a bunt single and was thrown out attempting to steal by New Prairie junior catcher Ethan Nielson. 

Goshen answered with three runs against Byard in the bottom of the first inning. 

Freshman Reece Fisher (lead-off single to left) and Wertz (double to

left) both scored on a double to center by senior Robbie Riegsecker. 

Bontrager’s two-out groundout drove in Riegsecker with the tying run. 

The Cougars scored three runs against Good in the top of the first. 

Dockery led off the game with a double to right and later scored on a one-out sacrifice fly to center by Nielson. 

A two-run double to center by Frank Turley plated Robinson (who reached on an infield single) and senior Evan Knowlton (who singled to left). 

As part of celebrating 50 years of Phend Field, teams from 1968, 1978,

1998 and 2008 were saluted prior to the game. 

It’s back to conference play for the RedHawks and Cougars Monday, April 30. Goshen goes to NorthWood in the Northern Lakes Conference and Penn visits New Prairie in the Northern Indiana Conference.