‘Different Focus’ Favors Sandwich
Morse, Frieders Key Indians Big Win Over Batavia ...
| Northern Illinois Sports Beat http://www.northernillinoissportsbeat.com |
By Bill Lidinsky
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Contributor
SANDWICH - After Tuesday’s tough loss to Somonauk at home, Sandwich baseball coach
Derek Avery could have been characterized as somewhat miffed with his ball club, and
miffed would be putting it mildly.
So entering Thursday’s contest with Batavia at Sandwich, the Indians were hoping for a
new approach against a very tough team.
Avery’s postgame scolding from Tuesday seemed to help deliver the desired result in the
form of an impressive 10-7 rebound victory against the Bulldogs yesterday.
It was Sandwich’s first varsity baseball win ever against the Western Sun Conference
power with senior Matt Morse (2-for-3, grand slam, 5 RBI) and junior Preston Frieders (2-
for-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) leading the way at the plate. The pair were also the Indians' main
pitching catalysts with Frieders pitching the first five innings strongly to get the win. Morse
mopped up the final inning-and-two-thirds to close out a complete reversal of attitude and
outlook for Sandwich from 48 hours earlier.
“I can’t tell you what I told the guys after the game on Tuesday. I wasn’t happy with the
way we approached the game with Somonauk,” Avery said. “But today against Batavia we
had a whole different approach. From the moment I walked in the gates for batting
practice at 2:30 today, I knew things were different. I didn’t know if we could beat Batavia,
but I sure knew we had a much different focus.”
That renewed focus took a half inning to kick in, as the Bulldogs tallied an unearned run
off Frieders in the top of the first courtesy of a Indian error. But Sandwich fought back in
the bottom of the frame against Batavia starter Kevin Flinn. Josh Fischbach led off with a
walk and went to second on Bryan Lopez sacrifice bunt. Morse then plated Fischbach with
a rope single to centerfield and the game was tied at one.
Frieders then sent the Bulldogs down easily in the top of the second before the Sandwich
boys set their eyes on the prize.
Oddly enough the Indians six-run second inning started with Kaleb Strothman leading off
and reaching first on a dropped third strike. One out later, Frieders doubled down the
right field line and Strothman scampered home from first to put the Indians up 2-1.
Elliott Lorensten then singled to score courtesy runner Ryan Benedetti, who came in for
Frieders, and Sandwich was up 3-1. Fischbach then walked, and Lopez loaded the bases
for Morse by looping a base hit to center. The University of Alabama-Birmingham recruit
promptly launched Flinn’s first pitch over the 355-foot marker in right center for a grand
slam and the Indians were in command 7-1.
“I think my at bat with the home run was a sign of what our team did today at the plate and
in the field. Overall, we came out and were much more aggressive than Tuesday,” Morse
said. “It was a first pitch fastball and I jumped on it. I think that’s what a lot of our guys did
today at the plate. We were more aggressive and made things happen obviously
offensively but defensively as well.”
“He (Morse) really like that first pitch, didn’t he?” said Batavia head coach Matt Holm. “He
found the one that he wanted. Boy, he’s one heck of a baseball player. That grand slam
really put us in a hole.”
Sandwich (4-4) would add a single tally in the bottom of the third to go up 8-1 before
Batavia (1-3) countered with a run in the top of the fourth as Danny Seiton touched
Frieders for a solo homer to cut the gap to 8-2.
But Frieders would help his own cause by blasting a two-run bomb to left center in the last
half of the fifth to put the Indians up 10-2 after five.
“I got a new bat today and I used it. I got the opportunity to play and took advantage,”
Frieders said. “I was really focused on both pitching and at the plate. Before I hit the
homer, I just wanted to win so bad and wanted to help myself out. I just went after it.”
Frieders tired in the top of the sixth and Batavia tallied four runs off he and reliever Matt
Anthenat before Morse came in to shut things down. When Batavia had the bases loaded
and one out, Morse retired the next two batters as the Indians led 10-6 after six.
The Indians committed two errors that led to an unearned run in the seventh for the
Bulldogs, but Morse was never in danger and Sandwich went on to an impressive three-
run victory.
“Both Matt and Preston came up huge today. They both went after it and their
performances both hitting and pitching carried us to a very big win,” Avery said. “Maybe
we needed Tuesday night against Somonauk to happen. Hopefully we’ll understand now
what we’re capable of if we come out with the right effort, attitude, and focus. Today was
the first time we played seven strong innings this season. This was a very good win.”
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
SANDWICH - After Tuesday’s tough loss to Somonauk at home, Sandwich baseball coach
Derek Avery could have been characterized as somewhat miffed with his ball club, and
miffed would be putting it mildly.
So entering Thursday’s contest with Batavia at Sandwich, the Indians were hoping for a
new approach against a very tough team.
Avery’s postgame scolding from Tuesday seemed to help deliver the desired result in the
form of an impressive 10-7 rebound victory against the Bulldogs yesterday.
It was Sandwich’s first varsity baseball win ever against the Western Sun Conference
power with senior Matt Morse (2-for-3, grand slam, 5 RBI) and junior Preston Frieders (2-
for-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) leading the way at the plate. The pair were also the Indians' main
pitching catalysts with Frieders pitching the first five innings strongly to get the win. Morse
mopped up the final inning-and-two-thirds to close out a complete reversal of attitude and
outlook for Sandwich from 48 hours earlier.
“I can’t tell you what I told the guys after the game on Tuesday. I wasn’t happy with the
way we approached the game with Somonauk,” Avery said. “But today against Batavia we
had a whole different approach. From the moment I walked in the gates for batting
practice at 2:30 today, I knew things were different. I didn’t know if we could beat Batavia,
but I sure knew we had a much different focus.”
That renewed focus took a half inning to kick in, as the Bulldogs tallied an unearned run
off Frieders in the top of the first courtesy of a Indian error. But Sandwich fought back in
the bottom of the frame against Batavia starter Kevin Flinn. Josh Fischbach led off with a
walk and went to second on Bryan Lopez sacrifice bunt. Morse then plated Fischbach with
a rope single to centerfield and the game was tied at one.
Frieders then sent the Bulldogs down easily in the top of the second before the Sandwich
boys set their eyes on the prize.
Oddly enough the Indians six-run second inning started with Kaleb Strothman leading off
and reaching first on a dropped third strike. One out later, Frieders doubled down the
right field line and Strothman scampered home from first to put the Indians up 2-1.
Elliott Lorensten then singled to score courtesy runner Ryan Benedetti, who came in for
Frieders, and Sandwich was up 3-1. Fischbach then walked, and Lopez loaded the bases
for Morse by looping a base hit to center. The University of Alabama-Birmingham recruit
promptly launched Flinn’s first pitch over the 355-foot marker in right center for a grand
slam and the Indians were in command 7-1.
“I think my at bat with the home run was a sign of what our team did today at the plate and
in the field. Overall, we came out and were much more aggressive than Tuesday,” Morse
said. “It was a first pitch fastball and I jumped on it. I think that’s what a lot of our guys did
today at the plate. We were more aggressive and made things happen obviously
offensively but defensively as well.”
“He (Morse) really like that first pitch, didn’t he?” said Batavia head coach Matt Holm. “He
found the one that he wanted. Boy, he’s one heck of a baseball player. That grand slam
really put us in a hole.”
Sandwich (4-4) would add a single tally in the bottom of the third to go up 8-1 before
Batavia (1-3) countered with a run in the top of the fourth as Danny Seiton touched
Frieders for a solo homer to cut the gap to 8-2.
But Frieders would help his own cause by blasting a two-run bomb to left center in the last
half of the fifth to put the Indians up 10-2 after five.
“I got a new bat today and I used it. I got the opportunity to play and took advantage,”
Frieders said. “I was really focused on both pitching and at the plate. Before I hit the
homer, I just wanted to win so bad and wanted to help myself out. I just went after it.”
Frieders tired in the top of the sixth and Batavia tallied four runs off he and reliever Matt
Anthenat before Morse came in to shut things down. When Batavia had the bases loaded
and one out, Morse retired the next two batters as the Indians led 10-6 after six.
The Indians committed two errors that led to an unearned run in the seventh for the
Bulldogs, but Morse was never in danger and Sandwich went on to an impressive three-
run victory.
“Both Matt and Preston came up huge today. They both went after it and their
performances both hitting and pitching carried us to a very big win,” Avery said. “Maybe
we needed Tuesday night against Somonauk to happen. Hopefully we’ll understand now
what we’re capable of if we come out with the right effort, attitude, and focus. Today was
the first time we played seven strong innings this season. This was a very good win.”
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!
At Sandwich
Sandwich 10, Batavia 7
Batavia (7) – Schofield cf 2-1-
1-1, Scaccia rf 3-0-1-0, Clark
c 4-0-1-2, Flinn p/3b 4-0-0-0,
Carby lf 4-1-1-0, Seiton ss 4-
3-3-1, Beltrano 3b 2-0-1-0,
Sortino p 0-0-0-0, Diehl cr 0-1-
0-0, Leonard 1b 4-0-1-0,
Hrack 2b 4-0-1-1, Allison pr 0-
1-0-0. Totals 31-7-10-5.
Sandwich (10) – Fischbach
2b/ss 0-2-0-0, Lopez cf 3-1-1-
0, Morse ss/p 3-1-2-5, Ja.
Wegener dh 4-0-0-0,
Anthenat 1b 0-0-0-0, Smith
1b 0-0-0-0, Veliz 2b 0-0-0-0,
Ju. Wegener c 4-0-1-0,
Strothman rf 4-1-0-0, Voss 3b
2-2-0-0, Frieders p 3-1-2-3,
Benedetti cr 0-1-0-0,
Lorensten lf 2-1-2-1. Totals
25-10-8-9.
Batavia 100 104 1 – 7 10 0
Sandwich 161 020 x – 10 8 3
LOB – Batavia 8; Sandwich 6.
2B – Carby, Lorensten,
Frieders. HR – Seiton. Morse,
Frieders. SAC – Fischbach,
Lopez. SF – Schofield. HBP –
Lorensten (by Flinn), Voss (by
Sortino).
Batavia ip r er h k bb hb
Flinn (L) 3.0 8 8 6 6 3 1
Sortino 3.0 2 2 2 3 2 1
Sandwich
Frieders (W) 5.0 4 3 8 3 1 0
Anthenat 0.1 2 2 2 0 2 0
Morse 1.2 1 0 0 1 1 0
Records: Sandwich 4-4,
Batavia 1-3.
Sandwich 10, Batavia 7
Batavia (7) – Schofield cf 2-1-
1-1, Scaccia rf 3-0-1-0, Clark
c 4-0-1-2, Flinn p/3b 4-0-0-0,
Carby lf 4-1-1-0, Seiton ss 4-
3-3-1, Beltrano 3b 2-0-1-0,
Sortino p 0-0-0-0, Diehl cr 0-1-
0-0, Leonard 1b 4-0-1-0,
Hrack 2b 4-0-1-1, Allison pr 0-
1-0-0. Totals 31-7-10-5.
Sandwich (10) – Fischbach
2b/ss 0-2-0-0, Lopez cf 3-1-1-
0, Morse ss/p 3-1-2-5, Ja.
Wegener dh 4-0-0-0,
Anthenat 1b 0-0-0-0, Smith
1b 0-0-0-0, Veliz 2b 0-0-0-0,
Ju. Wegener c 4-0-1-0,
Strothman rf 4-1-0-0, Voss 3b
2-2-0-0, Frieders p 3-1-2-3,
Benedetti cr 0-1-0-0,
Lorensten lf 2-1-2-1. Totals
25-10-8-9.
Batavia 100 104 1 – 7 10 0
Sandwich 161 020 x – 10 8 3
LOB – Batavia 8; Sandwich 6.
2B – Carby, Lorensten,
Frieders. HR – Seiton. Morse,
Frieders. SAC – Fischbach,
Lopez. SF – Schofield. HBP –
Lorensten (by Flinn), Voss (by
Sortino).
Batavia ip r er h k bb hb
Flinn (L) 3.0 8 8 6 6 3 1
Sortino 3.0 2 2 2 3 2 1
Sandwich
Frieders (W) 5.0 4 3 8 3 1 0
Anthenat 0.1 2 2 2 0 2 0
Morse 1.2 1 0 0 1 1 0
Records: Sandwich 4-4,
Batavia 1-3.
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