Wildcats earn sweep over Wapakoneta
MINSTER — The Wapakoneta Redskins traveled to face Minster for a doubleheader on Saturday. The Wildcats would get a two-game sweep over the Redskins after a 4-1 win followed by a 5-3 victory. Minster used big fifth innings in each game to secure the wins over Wapakoneta.
In-game one Wapakoneta and Minster held a 1-1 tie after four, Minster was able to score three runs thanks to timely hits and defensive errors that the Wildcats were able to capitalize on. In-game two the Redskins held a 2-1 lead after four, but again Minster was able to get players on and two big extrabase hits. A double from the Wildcats brought two in, followed by a two-run home run from Addi Inskeep gave Minster four runs in the inning pushing them to their second win of the day.
Game One:
In a tie game until the fifth inning, both teams looked even and neither team had a clear advantage. Both pitchers were throwing very well and not letting many baserunners. Rylie Jeanneret got the start for the Redskins throwing the first five innings, she had only allowed one run on six hits before the fifth. Minster had made a change on the mound following the first inning as Brooklyn Osterloh got the start but Hoskins would take over for the remainder of the match.
Jeanneret would go on to allow three hits and three runs in the fifth, she would be relieved by Addison Fisher who would sit down all three batters she faced in the sixth. Jeanneret finished the game with four earned runs allowed on nine hits and struck out two Wildcats.
The duo of Mikaela Hoskins and Osterloh combined four one run on six hits, Osterloh allowed the run and one hit. Both hurlers would strike out one and Hoskins would walk three.
The two teams combined for 15 hits, Minster would get three more hits with
nine. Only three players combined to get multiple hits, each team had a pitcher get two hits, as Hoskins and Fisher both accomplished the feat, Hailee Albers of Minster was the third between the teams.
The two teams also had two errors apiece, as for the rest of the game both teams played solid defense and allowed a minimum amount of runs.
Game Two:
Wapakoneta appeared to have the upper hand early after quickly taking a 2-0 lead and holing it for a few innings. Minster was able to cut the lead in half in the fourth and then would have another strong offensive showing in the fifth that would lead to another win.
Wapakoneta was more efficient at the plate with baserunners on as they scored more runs than the previous game on fewer hits. Addison Fisher was again the lone Redskin with multiple hits as she managed to hit her third and fourth home runs of the year. She was responsible for all three RBIs in game two after hitting a tworun bomb into center field in the first as well as a solo into center field again in the sixth. Redskin manager Bill Sammons spoke about Fisher’s big day at the plate, “I love that our freshman is leading our team, the sophomores, juniors and seniors are saying ‘if she can do it I can do it so can I think it’s kind of a rallying point and she’s a great hitter and loves this sport with a passion and it’s kind of bleeding off to other players, we had a lot of girls see good pitches and get good hits too, we hit the ball well, it just didn’t go our way we had one bad inning.”
The slugger also pitched a complete game on the mound where she held a shutout into the fourth. The next two innings would not be the best for Fisher as five runs would score on five hits and walk, one hit was a two-run home run by Inskeep to match Fisher’s first inning at the plate. She would finish the game with five runs allowed on seven hits and walk, she would also sit down five batters on strikes.
After the game Minster manager Robb Hemmelgarn spoke about his team’s big fifth innings, “we have had a lot of subidentities this year of having the big first inning and setting the tone early, we’ve had ones where we spread it out over a few innings and we’ve had it to where we needed to rally late, I think that’s the most dangerous of our identities where teams get us down and jump on us early, they did a great job in both games of doing that, but we kept our composure and knew it was just a matter of getting that one inning and it was a big one,” said Hemmelgarn.
Only one Wildcat would finish game two with multiple hits as Hannah Oldiges would hit a single a double while bringing in one run, two players would combine for the rest of the team RBIs as Lyndi Hemmelgarden and Addi Inskeep would each get two.
Osterloh would get back on the mound in game two and pitch six innings in the win, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks. She would have an impressive nine strikeouts on a good Wapakoneta offense. Oldigies would come in the top on the seventh in reliving and picking up the save as she walked one but struck out three batters to secure the win.
After the game both coaches were excited to get two games in following the poor weather recently that has led to many games being postponed or outright canceled.
“I wish we could have gotten four teams in, we had a late cancellation last night, so it’s great to get two in, it’s a bit different we’ve been cold all year and it was great to get two wins in,” said Hemmelgarn.