PREP BASEBALL: Catalyst Rapp helps first-place RedHawks top Raiders
· Yahoo Sports
GOSHEN — Colton Rapp helped Goshen to another baseball victory with his bat and his glove.
The RedHawk senior reached base in all four plate appearances, collected two doubles and a single and scored three times as Goshen bested Northridge 12-6 on Wednesday, May 6 in Northern Lakes Conference play at the Goshen Baseball-Softball Complex.
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A three-year starter at catcher, Rapp caught starter Bray Hoag and reliever Jensen Meikle and threw out a would-be base stealer.
“He is incredibly valuable,” said RedHawks head coach JJ DuBois of Rapp. “He’s the catalyst of our emotions.
“When he’s positive and upbeat, our team follows suit. When he’s not, we sink down. It’s important for him to respond well when things aren’t going well. He did a great job tonight.”
Right-hander Hoag pitched four innings and had one strikeout, three walks and gave up four runs and seven hits. He delivered 47 of 91 pitches for strikes.
Righty Meikle tossed three innings with three strikeouts, two walks, two runs and four hits allowed. Of his 55 pitches, 28 were strikes.
“He threw well,” said DuBois of Meikle. “That’s the most he’s gone all year.
“It was good to see him still be effective.”
Goshen got down 3-0 before coming back on the Raiders.
“I knew I had to pick it up,” said Rapp, who was in the No. 5 spot in the batting order. “On the bases, I was applying pressure and making (Northridge) make plays.
“If we stay aggressive on the base paths, it’s definitely going to take us a long way.
The RedHawks wound up with 11 hits and stole seven bases — three for sophomore Manny Pizana, two for senior Bryson Wilson and once each for Rapp and sophomore Spencer Elliott.
Wilson and sophomore Jaxon Miller scored two runs apiece. Miller and Meikle drove in two runs each as NLC front-runner Goshen improved to 11-4 overall and 7-1 in the conference. Northridge fell to 6-10 and 2-6.
The Raiders used four pitchers — left-hander Mason Zimmerman and right-handers Caleb Irwin, Sam Canfield and Ethan Yoder.
Senior Zimmerman allowed 10 runs and junior Canfield two. Zimmerman fanned three with Canfield and senior Yoder striking out one each. Zimmerman had 40 strikes in 75 pitches while junior Irwin finished with 6-of-7, Canfield 18-of-37 and Yoder 9-of-19.
Junior No. 2 hitter Aveary Johnson and sophomore No. 2 batter Quinn Knepp produced three hits each while junior No. 4 Hayden Gorball had two.
“Quinn is seeing the ball real well right now,” said Northridge coach Chad Gerard. “He hit the ball hard.
“He’s a kid we’ve got a lot of confidence in when he’s at the plate.”
Gerard came away impressed with the RedHawks.
“They’re good all the way around,” Gerard said. “They can pitch. They can hit. They can run.
“They’re tough to beat.”
The Raiders left 10 runners on base (six in scoring position) while Goshen stranded nine runners (eight in scoring position)
Northridge turned an inning-ending double play to squelch a Goshen threat in the bottom of a score-free sixth inning — pitcher Yoder to shortstop Knepp to first baseman Irwin.
Northridge scored the game’s first run without a hit in the top of the first inning.
Johnson drew a one-out walk, moved to second base when Mann walked, then third base on Gorball’s fielder’s choice and scored on Irwin’s two-out bases-loaded walk.
The Raiders tallied a pair of two-out runs in the top of the second inning for a 3-0 lead.
Knepp smacked a one-out double to center, advanced to third base on Ryan’s groundout and scored on Johnson’s single to center.
Johnson went to second base when Mann was hit by a pitch and trotted home on Gorball’s single to center.
With four two-out runs in the bottom of the second inning, the RedHawks went up 4-3.
Rapp got on with a one-out infield single and went to third base on Wilson’s single to center and scored on a throwing error.
With two outs and following a pair of wild pitches, senior Karter Marcum’s single to center drove in Wilson. Sophomore Brycen Eaton then singled to left.
Cline’s bases-loaded walk scored Marcum with the tying run.
The go-ahead run was notched by Eaton when Meikel was hit by a pitch with the bases full.
Goshen assumed a 10-3 advantage with six runs in the bottom of the third inning.
The big blow was a two-run single by Miller. Scoring runs were Miller, Rapp, Wilson, Pizana, Elliott and senior Braxton Cline.
Northridge cut the gap to 10-4 with one run in the top of the fourth inning.
Knepp opened the frame with a single to center, moved to second base on junior Preston Ryan’s single to right and scored on Johnson’s single to left.
Two runs for the RedHawks in the bottom of the fifth inning made it 12-4.
With one out, Miller doubled to left and scored on Rapp’s double to left. Rapp stole third base and crossed the plate on Wilson’s single to left.
The Raiders got within 12-6 with two runs in the top of the sixth inning.
With one out, Johnson singled to center and moved to third base on senior Luke Mann’s single to center.
A fielder’s choice by Gorball plated Johnson. A double to right knocked in Gorball.
NorthWood goes to Northridge and Goshen visits Warsaw Friday, May 8.
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PREP BASEBALL
Northridge 1; 2; 0; 1; 0; 2; 0 — 6 11 2
Goshen 0; 4; 6; 0; 2; 0; x — 12 11 1
Records: Northridge 6-10 (2-6 NLC), Goshen 11-4 (7-1 NLC)