Wawasee, Concord Survive Nailbiters

It went to the wire in both varsity and JV softball games between Wawasee and Concord Monday night in Syracuse.

Rae Ann Miller was money for Concord, striking out 11 Wawasee batters in a 2-0 Concord varsity win in Northern Lakes Conference play. Wawasee’s JV won its third consecutive game in its final at-bat, this time scoring on a throwing error in the bottom of the eighth to beat Concord 2-1.

Miller was the story in the varsity game, walking none and allowing just three hits. The hurler also had a sacrifice fly to drive in Concord’s first run in the fourth.

Concord only managed three hits off Wawasee’s Meghan Fretz, who struck out eight and walked just two in a rare pitcher’s duel for the Lady Warriors.

In the past six games prior to Monday, Wawasee had scored 57 runs. But the Lady Warriors only threatened once in the game in the fifth inning, but Concord gunned down Danielle Gunkel at home trying to score on a Paige Hlutke grounder.

Concord scored its second run in the seventh on a Wawasee error.

Wawasee (11-6, 3-4 NLC) is only 2-4 this season when playing in games decided by two or fewer runs.

The JV game had another pitcher’s duel with Wawasee’s Hannah Haines striking out a season-high 15 and Haines put the ball in play on the winning sequence in the bottom of the eighth.

After Kayleigh Rhodes opened the bottom of the eighth with a single, Rhodes moved to second and was brought around to score on a throwing error off a grounder by Haines, which was thrown away at first trying to get Haines out. Wawasee moved to 13-0 this season with the win.

The play spoiled a fantastic effort from Concord’s Baylee Olinger-Royer, who struck out nine.

Wawasee will host Warsaw this Wednesday.

Tennis Singles Out Chargers

Jada Antonides helped out her club again. For the second time this season, Antonides was the last off the court, but held the third win for Wawasee after defeating Anna Buttgen 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to push the Lady Warriors to a 3-2 team win at West Noble Monday afternoon.

Singles courts held the magic for the Lady Warriors against the Lady Chargers, with Katy Ashpole rolling past Haley Teel love and love at one singles and Chelsea Carolus gutting out a four and four result over Josie Gibbons.

West Noble earned a two and four win from Rachel Schermerhorn and Brett Coverstone against Jazlyn Gehlhausen and Addison Ayres at one doubles. On the No. 2 court, Bailey Kruger and Vanesa Ratliff settled down for a four and one victory against Jaclyn Miller and Charity Parker.

Wawasee won three of five JV courts, with Marte Tverra and Kayla Hershberger earning singles victories and the team of Paige Miller and Madison Cooper grabbing a doubles win.

The win improves the Lady Warriors to 2-6 this season and a chance to keep the momentum going Tuesday with a home date against Elkhart Memorial. Wawasee, 0-4 in NLC play, have not won a set in conference play this season.

Minutemen Edge Warriors

Late inning doings by the opponent foiled Wawasee again on the varsity baseball diamond.

Concord scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to spoil a Warrior rally, leading to a 5-4 Concord victory Monday night.

Wawasee tied the game at four all in the sixth inning after falling behind 4-0 after three innings in Dunlap.

Nate Prescott led Wawasee with a single and double, two runs driven in and a run scored. Gage Fannin added a double and Nate Hare scored a run for the Warriors, which couldn’t muster enough for Fannin on the hill, who worked six innings, giving up four earned.

Wawasee fell to 5-10 overall and 0-7 in the NLC, having lost four of the seven conference games on runs allowed in the fifth inning or later after either being tied or within one run of the opponent.

The JV game also went the way of the hosts. A late rally by Wawasee, which scored all five of its runs in the final two innings, came up one tally short in a 6-5 Concord win.

Wawasee (7-3) scored two runs in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh before running out of outs. Concord built a 4-0 lead before Wawasee cut the lead in half in the sixth, only for the Minutemen to respond with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Individual statistics for the game were not provided.

Wawasee will host Warsaw Wednesday afternoon.

Wawasee also announced Monday that its C-Team will play at Elkhart Memorial May 23, the game starting at 5 p.m. The reschedule is from the game wiped out from May 1 due to rain.