Penn, Northridge Power Way into Elkhart Sectional Final
May 26, 2019
The No. 4-ranked Kingsmen (24-5) used three home runs, a triple and two doubles to beat Goshen 12-3 and the Raiders (21-7) bashed a homer and four doubles to top Warsaw 10-6 in the semifinals on Saturday, May 25 at Elkhart Memorial’s Charger Field.
Penn collected 13 hits while Northidge had 14.
The sectional final is slated for 11 a.m. Monday, May 27.
Penn 12, Goshen 3
Junior Camryn Szynski belted two homers, senior Kegan Hoskins one homer, senior Hayden Berg a triple and senior Kameron Koch and junior Kyle Kline a two-bagger each for the Kingsmen.
“I saw a fastball in and down a little,” said Szynski of his first-inning clout over the right field fence off junior right-hander Skylar Reyes on a 1-0 count with two outs in the first inning. “I was just trying to get the bat head on it.”
The other homer went to center on a 3-2 delivery from Reyes.
“It was right down the middle,” said Szynski. “It was two-strike swing.”
Hoskins’ two-run clout against Reyes came on an 0-2 pitch in the fifth inning.
Designated visiting team Penn scored one run in the first, two in the second, one in the fourth, five in the fifth and three in the seventh.
Penn tallied two runs in the second to take a 3-0 lead.
Hoskins led off with a single to left and later scored on a groundout by senior Brendon Denaway.
Kline rapped a two-out double to left and scored on Berg’s single to left. Reyes picked Berg off first base for the third out.
The Kingsmen went ahead 4-0 without a hit in a one-run fourth.
Hoskins drew a lead-off walk, stole second base, moved to third base on Junior Ryan Lynch’s ground and scored on Denaway’s groundout.
Lynch singled to center off senior reliever Joseph Good and later scored on an error for Penn’s fifth run in the fifth.
The Kingsmen scored three runs in the sixth to take a 12-0 lead. Hoskins singled to center and Lynch walked and both scored on Kline’s double to center. Kline scored on Berg’s triple to right.
Goshen cut down Koch at third base trying to stretch a double to right into a triple. Sophomore right fielder Colin Turner threw to sophomore second baseman Reece Fisher who chucked it to junior third baseman Tommy Cartagena who applied the tag on Koch.
Goshen (12-16) scored all its runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Szynski walked the bases loaded (senior Bryant Robinson, junior James Troyer and senior Austin Cain).
Cartagena rolled into a double play that scored Robinson.
After two more walks, sophomore Dominick Reyes rapped a two-run single to right, plating Troyer and Cain.
“We have a new expectation,” said Goshen coach J.J. DuBois. “(Penn) played team baseball. They got guys over and got them in with two outs. We struck out with two outs.
“We didn’t put the ball in play with guys in scoring position and they did and that was the difference today.”
Penn starter Berg was the winning pitcher. He worked three innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts and two walks. Goshen starter Reyes pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs and eight hits with two walks and one strikeout and absorbed the loss.
Double plays were turned by the Kingsmen in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Northridge 10, Warsaw 6
Senior Reece Lueking launched a homer while doubles flew off the bats of senior Logan Pratt (two) and juniors Cam Knepp and Nick Logan for the Raiders.
Playing in a steady rain, Northridge scored four runs before the game went into a 91-minute delay with one out in the second.
Logan walked, moved to second on Enfield’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Pratt’s double to center.
Becker followed with an infield single and scored on Reece Lueking’s home run to center. The blast came on a 1-1 pitch from Springer.
“Is that impressive or what?,” said Northridge coach Andrew Brabender. “He’s a big, strong human being.”
When play resumed, junior courtesy runner Noah Streeter was on first after Huffman’s single to left.
Junior Drew Gayler singled to center and the next two batters were retired to end the threat.
The Tigers cut the gap to 4-2 with two runs in the second.
Junior Noah Burgh singled to center and later scored on sophomore Joey Springer’s sacrifice fly to right.
Senior Matt Shoemaker reached base via error and scored on junior Jacob Hutcherson’s one-out double to left.
The Raiders upped their lead to 5-2 with one run in the third.
Logan lashed a lead-off double to left and later scored on junior Davis Enfield’s groundout.
Warsaw (11-15) tallied three runs in the third for a 5-all tie.
Senior Liam Patton singled to left and scored on Burgh’s one-out double to center.
Burgh trotted home on Springer’s two-out single to right. Springer scored on Hutcherson’s single to left.
Northridge broke a 5-5 tie with five runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Knepp doubled to center field against right-hander Springer.
Left-hander Hutcherson then replaced Springer on the mound for Warsaw.
Logan’s single to left plated Knepp.
With one out, Enfield reached on a bunt single, Pratt doubled to left and both scored on senior Ben Becker’s double to left.
Becker crossed the plate on sophomore Ethan Huffman’s single to left.
Enfield relieved junior starter Hayden Nickell with one out and runners on first and second and he earned the victory. Enfield gave up no hits, one run, one walk and struck out three as the winning
pitcher.
“His slider is a really good pitch,” said Northridge coach Andrew Brabender. “We’re set up really good in the finals. We haven’t really used (Enfield) that much. We’ve got him and Knepp on Monday against
Penn. That’s exactly where we wanted to be.”
Nickell yielded nine hits, five runs and three walks with two strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings Saturday.
The Tigers used three pitchers — Springer (loss), Hutcherson and senior Drake Graham.