By Staff

            MOUNDRIDGE – Due to construction on their home field, the Inman baseball team was hosting Moundridge on their home field Friday and it resulted in the Teutons getting a two-game sweep of the Wildcats, winning 5-1 and 5-2.

            With the wins, the Teutons are now 4-0 for the season as they are off for a week before playing Hutchinson Trinity on Thursday, April 6.

            The Wildcats fall to 1-3 as they prep for a home doubleheader on Thursday, April 6 hosting Remington.

            In game one, Moundridge took an early first inning lead of 1-0 before being shutout the remainder of the game as Teuton pitcher Brant Mikulecky threw a no-hitter. Inman scored two in the third and three in the fourth to earn the final 5-1 victory.

            Ty Rains scored the only run for the Wildcats while also getting a pair of steals. Clay Wilson and London Ward worked the mound for Moundridge, throwing a total of 94 pitches, giving up four hits, five earned runs, walking four and striking out six. Wilson took the loss.

            For Inman, Samuel Shober led the offense knocking in four runs with a pair of hits including a double while Brody Froese scored twice.

            According to Inman head coach Matt Mikulecky, “this was a hard fought win. It took a well-pitched game to get it. We couldn’t get anything going offensively and struggled to make any hard contact. Their guys kept us off balance for seven innings. Brant’s (Mikulecky) curve and slider had a little more break into that strong wind and he was able to spot his fastball.”

            “This was two really good games,” noted Wildcat head coach Jason Rains. “They are a solid, well-coached team. Both games were very clean on both sides. Well-pitched and overall clean defensive games. Both games came down to a couple of hits that Inman got with runners on base.”

            The nightcap was tied 1-1 at the end of the first inning and stayed that way until the Teutons put four runs on the board in the sixth while the Wildcats added just one more run in the seventh as Inman scored a doubleheader sweep with a 5-2 victory.

            Ty Rains, Joaquin Huff and Logan Churchill each had a hit for Moundridge with Huff pounding out a double and Rains getting two more stolen bases giving him a total of four on the day.

Layton Schmidt, just a freshman, pitched a complete game for the Wildcats, giving up five hits, three earned runs, walking three and striking out eight in taking the loss.

(Layton Schmidt – Moundridge)

            For Inman, Jesse Ballard had a pair of hits while Samuel Shober slammed out a four-run double, his second double for the day.

            Caleb Bigler also throw a complete game for the Teutons in getting the win. Bigler threw 87 pitches in seven innings while giving up just three hits, one earned run, walking a pair and striking out 10.

            Finishing out his thoughts on sweeping a doubleheader from a county rival, Teuton coach Mikulecky added, “Can’t say enough good things about Caleb Bigler as he had the composure of a seasoned veteran despite being just a sophomore. He worked out of a jam in the first inning and then settled in and spotted his pitches the rest of the night. Sammy (Shober) was clutch for us with a bases loaded double in the sixth. We are very rough around the edges but I am proud of all the guys for the work they are putting in. We definitely need to wake up the bats and clean-up our baserunning. Seeing a lot of good things. Brody (Froese) reached base in five of seven at bats and Jesse (Ballard) is hitting the ball well. Our bench and dugout have been really engaged and positive.”

            For Moundridge, coach Rains also concluded his post-game reflections when he said, “The story of the night was our inability to produce at the plate. (Brant) Mikulecky is one of the most dominant pitchers we will face this season. Our guys had some good at bats but just could not time him up due to an electric fastball and solid breaking ball. I was really encouraged by our pitching on the night for both games as three pitchers combined for 57% strikes thrown and they walked just seven while striking out 15. Even with a pair of losses, I am really encouraged with the way our guys competed.”

MOUNDRIDGE WILDCATS vs. INMAN TEUTONS

GAME 1:

WILDCATS > 1-0-0-0-0-0-0 = 1-0-1;  TEUTONS > 0-0-2-3-0-0-X = 5-4-0.

WILDCATS BATTING (ab-r-h-rbi-bb): Ty Rains > 1-1-0-0-2; Clay Wilson > 2-0-0-0-0; Layton Schmidt > 3-0-0-1-0; Lars Tegethoff > 3-0-0-0-0; Lane Durst > 2-0-0-0-0; Logan Churchill > 1-0-0-0-0; Joaquin Huff > 2-0-0-0-0; London Ward > 2-0-0-0-0; Camden Dalke > 1-0-0-0-0; Keaton Anderson > 1-0-0-0-0; Layton Wiens > 2-0-0-0-0.  Team Totals > 20-1-0-1-2.  SB (3): T. Rains – 2; C. Wilson – 1. LOB > 2.

WILDCATS PITCHING (ip-p-h-r-er-bb-so): Clay Wilson (L) > 2.1-37-1-2-2-2-1; London Ward > 3.2-59-3-2-2-2-5.  Team Totals > 6.0-94-4-5-5-4-6.

TEUTONS BATTING (ab-r-h-rbi-bb): Brant Mikulecky > 1-0-0-0-1; Samuel Shober > 2-0-2-4-0; Jesse Ballard > 3-0-1-0-0; Zaden Johnson > 2-0-0-0-0; Rhett Gilkey > 2-0-0-0-0; Karson Scheirling > 0-2-0-0-0; Grant Weins > 3-1-1-0-0; Caleb Bigler > 4-0-0-0-0; Brody Froese > 0-2-0-0-2; Jaimie Milleson > 1-0-0-0-1; Kellen Schrag > 0-0-0-0-0.  Team Totals > 18-5-4-4-4.  2B (1) > Shober – 1.  SB (3): Froese – 2; Scheirling – 1. LOB > 5.

TEUTONS PITCHING (p-ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Brant Mikulecky (W) > 6.2-94-0-1-1-2-13.

GAME 2:

WILDCATS > 1-0-0-0-0-0-1 = 2-3-3;  TEUTONS > 1-0-0-0-0-4-0 = 5-5-0.

WILDCATS BATTING (ab-r-h-rbi-bb): Ty Rains > 2-1-1-0-1; Clay Wilson > 2-0-0-0-1; Layton Schmidt > 3-0-0-0-0; Lars Tegethoff > 3-0-0-0-0; Lane Durst > 2-0-0-0-0; Thomas Porter > 1-0-0-0-0; Joaquin Huff > 3-0-1-0-0; Logan Churchill > 3-0-1-0-0; London Ward > 2-0-0-0-0; Paul Grill > 2-0-0-0-0.  Team Totals > 23-2-3-0-2.  2B (1) > Huff – 1.  SB (4) > Rains – 2; Churchill, Wilson – 1. LOB > 3.

WILDCATS PITCHING (p-ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Layton Schmidt (L) > 6.0-90-5-4-3-3-9.

TEUTONS BATTING (ab-r-h-rbi-bb): Brant Mikulecky > 2-1-1-0-0; Samuel Shober > 4-0-1-2-0; Jesse Ballard > 4-0-2-1-0; Zaden Johnson > 3-0-0-0-0; Rhett Gilkey > 1-0-0-0-1; Landon Shealy > 3-0-0-0-0; Grant Weins > 2-0-0-0-0; Dylan Larson > 1-0-0-0-0; Caleb Bigler > 1-1-0-0-2; Brody Froese > 3-1-1-1-0; Jaimie Milleson > 0-2-0-0-0.  Team Totals > 24-5-5-4-3.  2B (1) > Shober – 1.  SB (4) > Bigler, Milleson, Shealy, Mikulecky – 1. LOB > 7.

TEUTONS PITCHING (p-ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Caleb Bigler (W) > 7.0-81-2-1-1-2-10.

(The Staff covering events for the MAC AREA SPORTS NEW can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)