Newark Opens LTC Grind In Style
Despite Cold
Despite Cold
McGrath’s Three-Hitter Paces Norsemen Over Timberwolves ...
| Northern Illinois Sports Beat http://www.northernillinoissportsbeat.com |
At Shabbona
Newark 5, Indian Creek 2
Newark (5) – Walker cf 4-2-1-
0, McGrath p 4-0-1-1, Hardisty
ss 4-0-1-1, Bromeland c 2-0-
2-0, Hume cr 0-1-0-0, Jeffers
3b 4-0-0-0, Hughes 1b 3-0-0-
0, Mattison lf 3-2-2-1,
Thanepohn dh 3-0-1-0,
Wiesbrook 2b 0-0-0-0,
Montalvo pr 0-0-0-0,
DiClementi pr 0-0-0-0,
Nelson rf 2-0-1-1. Totals 29-5-
9-4.
Indian Creek (2) – Voris p 4-0-
0-0, Hermann 2b 2-0-0-0,
Bend c 3-0-0-1, Johnson ss
3-0-0-0, Korhnak 3b 3-1-1-0,
Harvell 1b 3-0-1-0, Creed rf 2-
0-0-0, Horn cf 3-0-1-0,
Martenson lf 1-1-0-0,
Lazzarotto ph 1-0-0-0. Totals
25-2-3-1.
Newark 110 210 0 – 5 9 2
IC 001 100 0 – 2 3 4
LOB – Newark 7; Indian
Creek 5. 2B – Walker,
Korhnak. SB – Walker,
McGrath, Hardisty (2), Voris,
Herrmann, Korhnak. CS –
Hardisty. SAC – Hughes,
Nelson. SF – Bend. HBP –
Bromeland (by Voris).
Newark ip r er h bb k
McGrath (W, 2-1) 7 2 0 3 3 4
Indian Creek ip r er h bb k
Voris (L, 0-2) 7 5 2 9 1 2
Records: Newark (3-5, 1-0
LTC), Indian Creek (1-6, 1-1)
Newark 5, Indian Creek 2
Newark (5) – Walker cf 4-2-1-
0, McGrath p 4-0-1-1, Hardisty
ss 4-0-1-1, Bromeland c 2-0-
2-0, Hume cr 0-1-0-0, Jeffers
3b 4-0-0-0, Hughes 1b 3-0-0-
0, Mattison lf 3-2-2-1,
Thanepohn dh 3-0-1-0,
Wiesbrook 2b 0-0-0-0,
Montalvo pr 0-0-0-0,
DiClementi pr 0-0-0-0,
Nelson rf 2-0-1-1. Totals 29-5-
9-4.
Indian Creek (2) – Voris p 4-0-
0-0, Hermann 2b 2-0-0-0,
Bend c 3-0-0-1, Johnson ss
3-0-0-0, Korhnak 3b 3-1-1-0,
Harvell 1b 3-0-1-0, Creed rf 2-
0-0-0, Horn cf 3-0-1-0,
Martenson lf 1-1-0-0,
Lazzarotto ph 1-0-0-0. Totals
25-2-3-1.
Newark 110 210 0 – 5 9 2
IC 001 100 0 – 2 3 4
LOB – Newark 7; Indian
Creek 5. 2B – Walker,
Korhnak. SB – Walker,
McGrath, Hardisty (2), Voris,
Herrmann, Korhnak. CS –
Hardisty. SAC – Hughes,
Nelson. SF – Bend. HBP –
Bromeland (by Voris).
Newark ip r er h bb k
McGrath (W, 2-1) 7 2 0 3 3 4
Indian Creek ip r er h bb k
Voris (L, 0-2) 7 5 2 9 1 2
Records: Newark (3-5, 1-0
LTC), Indian Creek (1-6, 1-1)
By Bill Lidinsky
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Contributor
SHABBONA - On a day that was hardly fit for man nor beast weather wise, the Newark
varsity boys baseball team managed to overcome the cold and blustery climate at
Shabbona on its way to a 5-2 Little Ten Conference victory over Indian Creek.
It was the Norsemen’s first game of the 2010 LTC campaign, while the Timberwolves were
competing in their second league contest on just a raw afternoon that saw temperatures
hovering around 40 degrees and sleet showering the playing field on several occasions.
But it was Newark senior pitcher Russ McGrath (7 ip, 2 r, 0 er, 3 h, 3 bb, 4k) that ignored
the negatives of the frosty atmosphere by pitching a complete game three hitter to lead
his club on the hill all the time without the benefit of any shirtsleeves.
“I’ve never worn long sleeves, so I didn’t want to start today. I hate long sleeves. Even
though it was very cold today I would never wear them,” McGrath said. “Our defense
made some great plays behind me and my arm felt really good. I haven’t pitched in over a
week so that helped me a lot also.”
Newark’s defense was spectacular despite two errors that led to the only two unearned
Indian Creek runs. Centerfielder Cody Walker and shortstop Alan Hardisty came up with a
few web gems that helped McGrath out and the Norsemen also took advantage of four
Timberwolves miscues to tally three unearned runs of their own. That proved to be the
difference.
“Newark’s defense was excellent at times and so was their pitcher (McGrath). But we’ve
just been making too many mistakes on defense and today was no different,” said Indian
Creek head baseball coach Mike Kniffin. “It just seems like every time we need to come up
with a big play on defense in a big situation we don’t. We’ve got to clean up all the errors.
They really hurt us again today.”
The Norsemen tallied their first run off Indian Creek starter Steven Voris in the top of the
first.
Walker (1-for-4, 2 runs) led the game off with a laser double down the left field line and
then went to third on a ground out. Walker then crossed the plate after a Timberwolf
misplay of Hardisty’s grounder and Newark was up 1-0.
An unearned run would follow for the Norsemen in the top of the second courtesy of two
more Indian Creek errors that landed Brandon Mattison (2-for-3, RBI) and Zac
Thanepohn (1-for-3) on base to start the stanza. Freshman Steve Nelson then followed
with a single to right that plated Mattison and the Newark lead was 2-0.
Indian Creek (1-6, 1-1) touched McGrath with an unearned run in the bottom of the third
to pull to within one at 2-1.
Freshman Dillon Martenson walked to lead off. Voris then reach on an infield error, as
Martenson took third. One out later, Reece Bend’s sacrifice fly to right scored Martinson
as Voris galloped to third after tagging up.
Walker then came away with a spectacular two out catch as he tracked down Josh
Johnson’s laser beam to right center with a diving grab that surely thwarted a tying score
and possibly more. It was the highlight of Walker’s day in the field that saw at least five
excellent catches.
“I saw the ball go up and I didn’t think it would travel as far as it did because of the wind. I
knew I had to get going and I just dove and caught it,” Walker said.
“I thought that catch by Cody kind of took the wind out of Indian Creek’s sails. At the very
least it kept them from tying up the game,” said Newark head coach Brian Holman. “Man
he (Walker) gets good reads out there. I didn’t have him out there earlier in the year, but
now he’s got to be there. He almost sees where the ball’s going before Russ lets it go. His
play in the outfield was spectacular today.”
Two more unearned runs for the Norsemen in the top of the fourth. Mattison led off with a
base hit to right. Two outs later he tallied from second after Walker reached on an infield
miscue. Walker promptly stole second and scored on McGrath’s run scoring single to put
Newark up 4-1.
The Timberwolves would make the score 4-2 after four with an unearned tally as Matt
Korhnak doubled and then scored one out later on a Newark fielding flub.
But McGrath (2-1) retired the final eleven of twelve batters from there, as he seemed to
get hotter as the day got colder.
His teammates added a single earned run in the bottom of the fifth on a Mattison RBI base
knock and the Norsemen captured their 2010 LTC debut by three tallies.
“I told the guys on days like this with the bad weather, you’ve got to put the ball in play
and concentrate on playing good defense. It’s tough when it’s 35 or 40 degrees like it was
today,” Holman said. “But we made some great defensive plays when we needed too, got
good pitching from Russ, and hit the ball hard and made them make mistakes. It’s a nice
start to the conference season with a win. We’ll crank up the heaters on the bus on the
way home.”
Bill Lidinsky is a Northern Illinois Sports Beat contributor. He can be reached in care of
NISB at Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our
Message Boards!
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Contributor
SHABBONA - On a day that was hardly fit for man nor beast weather wise, the Newark
varsity boys baseball team managed to overcome the cold and blustery climate at
Shabbona on its way to a 5-2 Little Ten Conference victory over Indian Creek.
It was the Norsemen’s first game of the 2010 LTC campaign, while the Timberwolves were
competing in their second league contest on just a raw afternoon that saw temperatures
hovering around 40 degrees and sleet showering the playing field on several occasions.
But it was Newark senior pitcher Russ McGrath (7 ip, 2 r, 0 er, 3 h, 3 bb, 4k) that ignored
the negatives of the frosty atmosphere by pitching a complete game three hitter to lead
his club on the hill all the time without the benefit of any shirtsleeves.
“I’ve never worn long sleeves, so I didn’t want to start today. I hate long sleeves. Even
though it was very cold today I would never wear them,” McGrath said. “Our defense
made some great plays behind me and my arm felt really good. I haven’t pitched in over a
week so that helped me a lot also.”
Newark’s defense was spectacular despite two errors that led to the only two unearned
Indian Creek runs. Centerfielder Cody Walker and shortstop Alan Hardisty came up with a
few web gems that helped McGrath out and the Norsemen also took advantage of four
Timberwolves miscues to tally three unearned runs of their own. That proved to be the
difference.
“Newark’s defense was excellent at times and so was their pitcher (McGrath). But we’ve
just been making too many mistakes on defense and today was no different,” said Indian
Creek head baseball coach Mike Kniffin. “It just seems like every time we need to come up
with a big play on defense in a big situation we don’t. We’ve got to clean up all the errors.
They really hurt us again today.”
The Norsemen tallied their first run off Indian Creek starter Steven Voris in the top of the
first.
Walker (1-for-4, 2 runs) led the game off with a laser double down the left field line and
then went to third on a ground out. Walker then crossed the plate after a Timberwolf
misplay of Hardisty’s grounder and Newark was up 1-0.
An unearned run would follow for the Norsemen in the top of the second courtesy of two
more Indian Creek errors that landed Brandon Mattison (2-for-3, RBI) and Zac
Thanepohn (1-for-3) on base to start the stanza. Freshman Steve Nelson then followed
with a single to right that plated Mattison and the Newark lead was 2-0.
Indian Creek (1-6, 1-1) touched McGrath with an unearned run in the bottom of the third
to pull to within one at 2-1.
Freshman Dillon Martenson walked to lead off. Voris then reach on an infield error, as
Martenson took third. One out later, Reece Bend’s sacrifice fly to right scored Martinson
as Voris galloped to third after tagging up.
Walker then came away with a spectacular two out catch as he tracked down Josh
Johnson’s laser beam to right center with a diving grab that surely thwarted a tying score
and possibly more. It was the highlight of Walker’s day in the field that saw at least five
excellent catches.
“I saw the ball go up and I didn’t think it would travel as far as it did because of the wind. I
knew I had to get going and I just dove and caught it,” Walker said.
“I thought that catch by Cody kind of took the wind out of Indian Creek’s sails. At the very
least it kept them from tying up the game,” said Newark head coach Brian Holman. “Man
he (Walker) gets good reads out there. I didn’t have him out there earlier in the year, but
now he’s got to be there. He almost sees where the ball’s going before Russ lets it go. His
play in the outfield was spectacular today.”
Two more unearned runs for the Norsemen in the top of the fourth. Mattison led off with a
base hit to right. Two outs later he tallied from second after Walker reached on an infield
miscue. Walker promptly stole second and scored on McGrath’s run scoring single to put
Newark up 4-1.
The Timberwolves would make the score 4-2 after four with an unearned tally as Matt
Korhnak doubled and then scored one out later on a Newark fielding flub.
But McGrath (2-1) retired the final eleven of twelve batters from there, as he seemed to
get hotter as the day got colder.
His teammates added a single earned run in the bottom of the fifth on a Mattison RBI base
knock and the Norsemen captured their 2010 LTC debut by three tallies.
“I told the guys on days like this with the bad weather, you’ve got to put the ball in play
and concentrate on playing good defense. It’s tough when it’s 35 or 40 degrees like it was
today,” Holman said. “But we made some great defensive plays when we needed too, got
good pitching from Russ, and hit the ball hard and made them make mistakes. It’s a nice
start to the conference season with a win. We’ll crank up the heaters on the bus on the
way home.”
Bill Lidinsky is a Northern Illinois Sports Beat contributor. He can be reached in care of
NISB at Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our
Message Boards!
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