Baseball Team Shuts Out Wayne, Sweeps Triton
07 May 2009

by Eric Christiansen
Freshman Connor McLaughlin pitched like a veteran Wednesday night in a 6-0 win over Fort Wayne Wayne.
McLaughlin pitched a complete game shut out, giving up four hits, striking out 11 and walking just two. The Squires improved to 2-5-1 with the win, with McLaughlin improving to 2-0 on the year.
Manchester took an early lead with five runs in the second inning.
Dylin Kennedy started things off with a triple and scored on a Clint Bischoff RBI single. Derrek Freshour singled, followed by a walk by Ryan Binkley to load the bases.
Schuyler Collett drove in Bischoff on a fielder’s choice. Thomas scored Freshour with a sacrifice fly, and Brady Miller drove in Binkley with an RBI single.
The Squires added a run in the fifth inning as Bischoff singled, stole second, moved third on a wild pitch, and scored on a fielder’s choice.
Bischoff went 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, Freshour was 2-2 with a run, Miller was 2-2 with an RBI and one run scored, Nate Miller was 1-1, Kennedy was 1-4 with a run scored, and Binkley scored one run.
Doubleheader Win Over Triton
The Squire bats came alive Saturday in a doubleheader with Triton. The Squires won 12-6 and 16-8 to improve to 4-5-1 on the year.
Manchester took control early, scoring four runs in the first inning.
Brady Miller got the scoring started with a two run home run for a 2-0 lead. Bischoff was hit by a pitch, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Dylin Kennedy walked, and Freshour drove both of them in with a double.
Triton scored two in the second inning, but the Squires matched them with two runs of their own.
With two outs, Carver doubled, then moved to third on a wild pitch. Miller drove Carver in with a single, then scored on a double from Cody Semler.
Binkley drove in Kennedy for a run in the third, but Triton chipped away at the lead, cutting it to 7-4 with two runs in the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Binkley, Collett, and Brady Miller all drove in runs to give Manchester a 10-4 lead.
Triton scored two in the top of the sixth, but Freshour and Sam Thomas each drove in a run for the 12-6 win.
Scott Baker was the winning pitcher, going 5 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on six hits, striking out eight and walking three.
McLaughlin came on in relief and pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up one hit and striking out three.
Miller was 2-3 from the plate with four RBI and two runs scored. Freshour was 3-4 with three RBI and two runs, Binkley was 1-4 with two RBI and a run, while Semler was 1-2 with an RBI. Corey Thomas, Carver, and Kennedy all had one hit
In the second game, the Squires jumped out to a 7-1 lead after three innings and never looked back in a 16-8 win.
Manchester scored two runs in the second inning, five in the third, one in the fourth, and eight in the fifth inning to cruise to the win.
Kennedy went 2-3 from the plate with three RBI and a run scored, while Semler was 2-2 with two runs scored. Freshour was 2-4 with two RBI and two runs, and Nathan Miller was 1-1 with two RBI.
Carver, Knecht, and Bischoff all had one hit each.
Semler got the win in relief, giving up four runs on three hits, striking out one and walking one. Nathan Miller started the game, throwing 3 1/2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits, striking out two and walking one. McLaughlin pitched the last two innings, striking out two without giving up a hit.
“We did a real nice job today with our approach at the plate, being more selective” Rupley said. “We made some errors at wrong times to give them some extra outs. We have got to clean that up if we want to contend for the TRC title.”
Loss To Peru
The Squires took a 7-4 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning against Peru, but the Tigers answered with six runs in the bottom half of the inning to take control of the game and eventually pull out an 11-8 win.
“It’s the same thing of giving up one big inning,” Rupley said. “We have to clear that up.”
Peru took a 1-0 lead, but the Squires scored two runs in the top of the second.
Bischoff singled, followed by Freshour reaching on an error, which moved Bischoff to third.
Binkley drove in Bischoff, and Freshour later scored on an error.
Peru scored three in the bottom of the second inning, but the Squires took a 6-4 lead with four runs in the third inning.
Semler reached on a single, followed by a single from Bischoff. Kennedy drove in Semler, followed by a two RBI triple from Freshour. Binkley drove in his second of three RBI on a fielder’s choice.
The Squires made it 7-4 in the top of the fourth inning. Semler walked, and later scored on an RBI single from Freshour.
Peru, however, took the lead for good with six runs in the bottom of the fourth and held the Squires to just one run the rest of the way.
Freshour was 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Bischoff was 2-3, Thomas was 2-4, Binkley was 1-2 with three RBI, while Semler, Baker, and Kennedy all had one hit each.
Bischoff took the loss on the mound, going 3 1/3 innings, giving up 10 runs on 11 hits. Baker pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up one hit and striking out one. Miller pitched one inning, giving up one run on one hit, striking out one and walking one.
The loss puts the Squires at 4-6-1. They are at Southwood on Wednesday, Tippecanoe Valley on Friday, and at DeKalb on Saturday