IHSAA Class 3A Regional: New Prairie steps off gas, loses to No. 2 Andrean
PLYMOUTH — It’s a fundamental rule of athletics. When you have your opponent down, don’t let him get up.
New Prairie broke that rule in a 9-4 loss to defending state champion Andrean during Saturday’s Class 3A baseball regional at Plymouth.
The No. 8-ranked Cougars didn’t exactly have the No. 2-ranked 59ers on the mat, but there’s no question the momentum was all on New Prairie’s side following a big fourth inning at Plymouth’s Bill Nixon Field.
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Trailing 5-0 after three, the Cougars rallied to almost tie the score, taking advantage of a couple Andrean errors, getting some timely hits from Mason Braun and Evan Haws, and scoring on a sweet double-steal play.
They put up four runs in their half of the inning, narrowing the margin to 5-4.
The New Prairie dugout was hoppin’, a large contingent of Cougar fans was snortin’, and the 59ers were rocked back on their heels.
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Then the fifth inning began, and it all went away.
Andrean’s leadoff batter, James Kirk, reached first on an error. Then Jack Vogt singled right down the third-base line, and second baseman Noah Chase followed with a single up the middle, scoring Kirk and Vogt.
Just that quickly, Andrean regained control, and then added two more runs to make it 9-4.
“That was so huge,” said Andrean coach Dave Pishkur. “I mean, the momentum was all on their (New Prairie’s) side. When they score, you have to answer back right away. I mean, everything we could have done right today, we did right today.”
Andrean pitcher Garrett Benko struck out 12 New Prairie batters and only walked one in a complete game. Andrean takes a 26-6-1 record into next week’s semistate.
New Prairie closes at 22-8-1. Ironically, the “1” on each team’s ledger occurred when the two teams played each other during the regular season. That game – in April – was tied 12-12 when it had to be called on account of darkness.
New Prairie starter Tyson Greenwood did a decent job, scattering six hits while giving up two walks and striking out two.
“We needed to come back in the (fifth) inning and hang a zero, and that didn’t happen” said New Prairie coach Mark Schellinger. “Still, it’s a credit to our guys that they went down 5-0 to Andrean in a regional, and battled back. I’m sure most people thought the game was over, but our guys did not.”
“I think it says a lot about the heart this team has,” said Haws, who collected two of New Prairie’s six hits. “We always fight back, even if it wasn’t enough.”
AGATE
LINE SCORE AGATE
R H E
Andrean (26-6-1) 050 040 0 – 9 7 2
New Prairie (22-8-1) 000 400 0 – 4 6 3
A – Garrett Benko and Braylon Holland. NP – Tyson Greenwood, Joe Kinney (5) and Reed Robinson. WP – Benko. LP – Greenwood. 2B – Moises Vazquez (A), Mason Braun (NP). HBP – Francisco Bibian (NP), Bryce Harder (A). LOB – Andrean 5, New Prairie 5.