Baseball Team Starts TRC 3-0
14 May 2009

The Manchester High School baseball team went 3-0 in the TRC over the past week with wins over Southwood, Tippecanoe Valley, and Rochester.
In the three wins, the Squires gave up just four runs.
Win Over Southwood
Cody Semler got the win on the mound and added a 3-run home run to help his cause win a 5-1 win over Southwood.
Brady Miller got things started for the Squires with a solo home run in the top of the first inning, but Southwood tied things up with a run in the bottom of the inning.
In the third, Miller singled, stole second, and scored on a RBI fielder’s choice from Derrek Freshour.
In the fifth, Matt Carver and Miller both walked, and Semler cleared the bases with a 3-run home run for a 5-1 lead.
Meanwhile, Semler was cruising on the mound, retiring 19 of the last 21 batters he faced.
“Cody did a nice job on the mound, and we did a nice job defensively,” coach Jack Rupley said. “We have to do a better job with the bats, although their pitcher did a nice job mixing pitches.”
Semler went 3-4 with three RBI, while Miller was 2-3 with one RBI. Freshour was 1-4 whith an RBI, and Devan Knecht went 1-2.
Semler pitched a complete game, giving up one run on four hits, striking out four and walking three.
Win Over Tippy Valley
The Squires got their second win of the early TRC season with a 7-3 victory over Tippecanoe Valley.
Connor McLaughlin got the win on the hill, going 6 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits and striking out six. McLaughlin improves to 3-0 on the year.
Scott Baker pitched 2/3 inning in relief.
Manchester got on the board in the first inning on a bases loaded walk from Freshour, scoring Carver.
Valley evened the score with a run in the first inning, but Manchester scored one run in the third and two in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead.
They added two more in the fifth, and one in the seventh to secure the win.
After the Viking’s only run, McLaughlin shut down 13 of the next 14 batters until the Vikings scored one in the sixth and one in the seventh.
“Connor did a nice job hitting spots and keeping Valley hitters guessing,” Rupley said. “We had timely hits to drive in runs, but we have to get better defensively and not give up outs.”
Semler went 2-4 with an RBI, while Ryan Binkley was 2-2.
Corey Thomas, Carver, and Miller all had one hit and one RBI, and Freshour and Clint Bischoff both had an RBI.
Win Over Rochester
The Squires improved to 3-0 with a 4-0 win over Rochester Monday night.
Baker pitched a complete game shut out to get the win.
Brady Miller got a big two out double to drive in two runs to seal the deal.
“This was a big win for us,” Rupley said. “Scott did a real nice job on the mound. It was a good pitchers’ duel between Scott and the Jameson kid from Rochester. We were fortunate to catch a couple of breaks.”
Doubleheader loss to DeKalb
Despite three TRC wins, it wasn’t all roses for the Squires as they were defeated 8-7 in eight innings by DeKalb, then suffered an 11-1 loss, getting no-hit in the process.
In the first game, Manchester jumped out to a 5-1 lead, but DeKalb chipped away at the lead, scoring three in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead. They added one in the sixth, for a 7-5 lead, but the Squires forced extra innings with two runs in the top of the seventh.
Freshour led off with a walk, followed by a double from Bischoff. Schuyler Collett drove them both in with a single to tie it up.
In the eighth inning, Freshour reached base on a single and stole second, but the Squires couldn’t bring him home.
In the bottom half of the inning, DeKalb scored the winning run.
Baker took the loss in relief, pitching 1 1/3 innings, giving up one run on two hits and striking out two.
Nate Miller started the game, going four innings, giving up four runs on three hits, walking six and striking out four.
Bischoff pitched two innings, giving up three runs on four hits and struck out one.
Thomas went 3-5, Brady Miller went 2-4 with an RBI, Semler was 2-5 with an RBI, while Dylin Kennedy and Freshour both had one hit and an RBI. Collett had a hit and two RBI.
In the second game, it was all DeKalb, and as Manchester didn’t get a hit on the day, despite scoring one run.
Bischoff took the loss on the mound, going three innings, giving up eight runs on four hits.
Brady Miller pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on two hits.
The Squires will host North Miami on Wednesday, Wabash on Friday, and will be at Northside on Saturday for a doubleheader and at Northfield on Monday.