By Steve Krah
PBR Indiana Correspondent 

GOSHEN — Northridge struck the first blows and made them stick, besting Goshen 5-3 Monday, April 17 in Northern Lakes Conference baseball at sunny Phend Field.

 The Raiders (7-1, 1-0) packed most of its offensive punch in the early going, received steady pitching from senior right-hander Camm Nickell (2-1; 7 innings, 3 runs, 8 hits, 13 strikeouts, 1 walk) while holding off the RedHawks (6-2, 0-1). 

“Baseball — especially high school baseball — is a big-time game of momentum,” Goshen coach Josh Keister said. “Northridge grabbed the momentum early and we couldn’t figure out a way to get it back.” 

The Raiders scored one run in the top of the first inning and three more in the second. 

Junior Cody Bible reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on junior Nick Hooley’s one-out double to left-center field. 

The inning ended with junior right-handed pitcher Joey Peebles spearing a line drive off the bat of junior Mason Troyer and tossing to second base to double off Hooley. 

In the Northridge second, junior Dylan Trick’s double to left-center plated sophomore Jeff Makar (on base by bunt single) and senior Bryce Miller’s double to left-center drove home junior Kyle Carson (fielder’s choice) and Trick. 

Makar led off the fourth inning with a first-pitch home run to left-center to put the Raiders up 5-0. 

Senior right-hander Chase Knoblock then came on in relief of RedHawks starter Peebles (3 innings, 5 runs, 7 hits, 0 strikeouts, 0 walks) and got in and out of a jam without any more runs scoring. 

The third out of the frame came on the rundown between third base and home plate with senior shortstop Mike Pinarski tagging out Carson (single to center and two errors). 

All Northridge runs and six of 11 hits came in the first two innings. 

“We just coasted — plain and simple,” Raiders coach Andrew Brabender said. “The first two innings, we had tons of life and tons of energy.” 

Goshen tallied two runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth inning. 

Nickell retired the first 10 RedHawk batters he faced then surrendered up a double to left field by senior Charlie Collins and back-to-back-to-back straight singles to Pinarski (infield) and juniors Robby Riegsecker (left) and Austin Bontrager (left). 

Collins scored on an error and Pinarski trotted home on Bontrager’s hit. 

“(Nickell) did a great job and we didn’t make adjustments to him,” Keister said. “It was the seventh inning before we were able to put any good at-bats together. 

“We didn’t believe that we were better than him and that showed in our approach at the plate.” 

Northridge left the bases loaded during a scoreless fifth inning. Knoblock squelched the threat by fanning the last two batters in the frame. 

The visitors left seven runners on the night, including three a third base. 

“This is a young, inexperienced team,” Brabender said. “We’ve just had a lot of growing pains. 

“We’re just staying on them, trying to get better.” 

Goshen loaded the bases with two outs but came up empty in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

Thanks to a third-strike wild pitch, Nickell recorded four strikeouts. 

Right-hander Pinarski sent the Raiders down in order after he spelled Knoblock (2 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk) on the mound in the sixth inning. 

Nickell wrapped three more K’s around a two-out single by senior C.J. Detweiler in the Goshen sixth. 

With Pinarski (2 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 3 strikeouts, 0 walks) whiffing the last two batters, Northridge stranded a runner at third base in the seventh inning. Bible led off with a single to left, moved to second and third on two wild pitches but got no further. 

Goshen did not go quietly, scoring a runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. 

An infield single by Pinarski drove in senior Jacob Haimes (who walked and moved around to third base when the Raiders threw wild on an infield single by junior Philip Wertz). 

There were runners on first and second when Nickell coaxed a fly-out to center for the game’s final out. 

“Camm pitched great,” Brabender said. “He threw 101 pitches, which is way too many, but at no point in that game did they hit him hard. There were a lot of duck snorts. How many extra pitches did we make him throw from booting the ball around?  

“It’s frustration. But the NLC’s about winning and we’re 1-0.” 

The conference race continues Wednesday, April 19 as Northridge plays host to NorthWood and Goshen visits Warsaw.