Washburn Rural baseball huddles around coach Jay Mastin after Friday's doubleheader split with Manhattan. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
A no-hitter and a walk-off hit took place on the same day at Washburn Rural on Friday afternoon.
Cade Perkins threw a no-hitter for Manhattan baseball in the opening game and Washburn's Colin Redeker hit a walk-off single in Game 2.
Manhattan run-ruled Washburn Rural 10-0 in the first game and the Junior Blues won in comeback fashion in the second game, 9-8.
“I’m proud of the way our guys competed and got the win in the second game,” Washburn Rural coach Jay Mastin said. “(Redeker) and the guys played pretty well. I’m proud of the way they pulled out the victory.”
Washburn Rural’s three-run rally in the seventh inning gave the Junior Blues the chance to win the game.
Redeker’s hit was the key to Friday night’s Centennial League win.
“I got up with a couple of people on and had two outs, I just needed to get the job done and I did,” Redeker said. “It was a super important at-bat because a tie would’ve been possible. So I just got the job done when the team needed me.”
Not a single Junior Blue had an answer for Perkins in Game 1.
Perkins hd nine strikeouts in the five-inning outing to go with one walk.
“My goal was just to get ahead of hitters,” Perkins said. “My goal usually stays the same. I never want to fall behind. Today I was lucky to be able to jump ahead of most of the batters I faced. I think I did a good job keeping my pitch count low and getting as many outs as I possibly could, quickly.
“I’m happy with the way the first game turned out.”
In innings three and four, Perkins struck out five batters in a row and it was evident that it was the southpaw’s day.
With Perkins's dominant no-hit day, the Manhattan offense was just as solid.
“We were on top of everything in the first game,” Manhattan coach Luke Snyder said. "Cade gave us a chance and I thought our offense was clicking on all cylinders. We were enthusiastic, fired up and making the right plays.
“We came up with some huge hits when we needed them the most.”
Ian Luce would get the scoring started early for Manhattan with a one-run double scoring Jack Campbell within four pitches in the top of the first inning.
Campbell would step back up in the top of the second inning and drive in Tyler Gagnon with a slick double giving Manhattan a 3-0 lead.
Carson Rosen would provide good pitching for Washburn Rural in the top of the third. Rosen sat down Manhattan with a lineout, groundout and a strikeout.
Manhattan would cause damage with a six-run, five-hit fourth inning after seeing the stellar inning from Rosen.
In the fourth inning Keenan Schartz would drive in a pair of runs with a single.
Braden Dinkel would follow up Schartz with a pulled line drive down the third-base line knocking in two runs.
Perkins would add on to the rally by blistering knocking in two more runs.
After the barrage of runs, it was becoming more difficult for Washburn Rural to come back and rally.
Luce would pop a sacrifice fly in the outfield to give Manhattan its 10th run in the top of the fifth inning.
“We definitely took our lumps in the first game,” Mastin said. “We gave up too many walks, passed balls and Manhattan played great. Perkins and that offense did a good job against us in the first game.”
With three outs away from a perfect game, a controversial ball four call in the bottom of the fifth would end Perkins's bid for perfection, but he recorded the no-hitter.
Washburn Rural’s composure at the plate played a big part in the Game 2 victory. The first five runs that Rural scored were all on Manhattan’s wild pitches.
Washburn Rural took seven walks and got hit by a pitch four times, forcing Manhattan to be uncomfortable early.
While the pitch count got high early, Rural's Zach Sharshel kept the red hot Manhattan offense off of the scoreboard.
Sharshel was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam and create some momentum before his pitch count ran to 83 in the third inning.
Kyle Walker and Ty Weber would score on wild pitches twice and Redeker would also score on a wild pitch.
The Junior Blues would hold a 5-1 lead before Manhattan rallied in the top of the third.
Manhattan, similar to Game 1, would go on to have a six-run inning, wiping the four-run Rural lead off of the board.
The wild pitches and past balls bug would also come back and hit Washburn Rural in the top of the third. Manhattan took advantage of Rural tossing three wild pitches and three past balls with swiped bags.
Jack Campbell, Jaxon Vikander, Tylar Pere and Jaxon Bowles would contribute to bringing runners home for the Indians.
After the first three innings, the game was owned by the defense for both schools.
Rural’s Brock Howard and Manhattan’s Tyler Gagnon were consistent and showed some stellar pitching. Gagnon came into relief in the second game and pitched all the way to the seventh inning while Howard pitched from the fifth inning until the end.
Washburn Rural was looking at a three-run deficit in the seventh inning. All Manhattan needed was three outs to sweep the doubleheader.
Keaton Catlin would beat out a throw and forced Manhattan to make a throwing error because of his speed down the first baseline. Kaleb Wellshear would get a free pass with a walk after Catlin’s at-bat. Redeker would bring one run home from a single and a throwing error would bring in two runs. The game would be tied 8-8 heading into extra innings.
Howard would stay in this game and pitch for the Junior Blues. Campbell hit a missile into centerfield, and it was dropped by the Rural center-fielder. Luce would fly out into the right field and Dinkel would line out to left field. Rosen would throw out a stealing Campbell to end the top of the eighth inning.
“We squandered scoring opportunities too late in the game and we weren’t able to bounce back from that,” Snyder said. “We had the opportunity to break the game open in the (eighth) and we couldn’t do it.”
As good as Howard was on the mound, his efforts at the plate would be just as solid in extra innings. Howard would hit a single right away giving Rural a possible chance to win the game. Robby Bolin squared up and placed a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second.
After a walk and a strikeout, Redeker was Rural's last bit of hope to win the game as the sun was going down. With a 2-2 count, Redeker lined one out to shallow right-center and the ball game would be over.
Washburn Rural (3-3) will host Topeka High on Tuesday while Manhattan (4-2) will take on Highland Park next Friday.
First game
MANHATTAN 10, WASHBURN RURAL 0
Manhattan 210 61 10 10 0
Washburn Rural 000 00 0 0 2
W – Perkins. L – Rosen. 2B -- Manhattan: Luce, Campbell, Dinkel.
Second game
WASHBURN RURAL 9, MANHATTAN 8
Manhattan (4-2) 016 010 00 – 8 9 3
Washburn Rural (3-3) 230 000 31 – 9 6 2
W – Howard. L – Luce. 2B -- Manhattan: Vikander. 3B -- Washburn Rural: Weber.
