Warsaw’s Ethyn Bradley gets down a bunt versus Elkhart Memorial Monday.
ELKHART – There was nothing wrong with the competitive nature of the Warsaw baseball team Monday night.
The Tigers, though, certainly could not catch a break in dropping a tough 4-2 final at Elkhart Memorial.
The hosts got an outstanding pitching performance from Scottie Clark and rallied from a two-run deficit to top the Tigers in a key Northern Lakes Conference contest.
Clark, a junior righthander, allowed just one hit as the NLC season reached the halfway point. He struck out three and walked none for a much-improved Memorial team.
Warsaw, which lost 5-3 to Memorial in the sectional a year ago, drops to 8-7 overall. The Crimson Chargers improve to 10-7-1 overall. Both teams are now 5-2 in NLC action.
“I thought we came out today and competed well,” said Warsaw coach Mike Hepler. “I was proud of the way we competed.
“Credit their pitcher. He kept us off balance. We hit a lot of balls at people today and they made the plays when they needed to. Memorial is improved. Give them credit. They hit the ball.
“This is three games in a row we’ve lost where we had the lead and could not finish them. We just have to clamp down on the little things. I feel pretty good at 5-2 in the conference. We’re in a good spot. We’re going to be competitive in the conference.”
Kevin Hawley delivers a pitch for the Tigers.
Warsaw took advantage of a pair of Memorial defensive miscues in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Justin Oberlin reached on an error to start the game for the Tigers. Ethyn Bradley then put down a fine sacrifice bunt. Oberlin then scored to make it 1-0 on another Memorial error.
The Tigers made it 2-0 in the third. Bradley doubled to left with two outs and then scored when a ball hit to right field by Brandon Shipp was lost in the sun and misplayed by the Memorial right fielder.
Memorial rallied to tie the game with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Jonathan Bailey started the frame with a double. After a flyout, Tiger pitcher Kevin Hawley hit a batter and then walked a man to load the bases. Noah Pawlak then delivered an RBI single and Daniel Asbury followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-2.
Warsaw got a tough break in the sixth as Memorial plated two more runs. With one out runners on first and second after a walk and a single, a potential double play ball off the bat of Asbury took a bad hop over Shipp’s head at second base to score a run to make it 3-2. Cameron Maxwell then drove home an insurance run with a sacrifice fly.
Hawley, a junior righthander, allowed the Memorial leadoff hitter to reach base in each of the first four innings. He struck out three and walked two in falling to 4-2 on the season on the hill.
Justin Oberlin takes a cut for the Tigers.
“We allowed too many base runners and it caught up to us,” Hepler said. “The walks and the hit batter. Those were uncharacteristic of Kevin. We couldn’t get over the hump with a key hit and the breaks did not go our way, but that’s baseball.”
Bailey and Pawlak each had three hits to lead Memorial, which won despite committing four errors.
The Tigers, who have lost three in a row, played errorless defense. Shipp made a fine backhanded stab in the first to save a run and first baseman Caleb Moneyheffer made an outstanding catch of a foul popup in the fifth.
Warsaw won the junior varsity game by a 6-0 final. Tommy Hickerson had two hits, including a home run, for the Tigers. Zach Witt notched the pitching win to improve to 3-1 for Warsaw, now 7-7 overall and 3-4 in the NLC.
Warsaw returns to NLC action at Wawasee Wednesday. Memorial is also back to league play Wednesday at Plymouth.
Ethyn Bradley heads to the dugout after scoring a run for Warsaw Monday.