WARRIORS TOP COLUMBIANS IN BATTLE FOR 2ND
The Warrenton Warriors rediscovered their small ball mojo, but a little long ball never hurts.
The Warriors put seven successful bunts in play and added timely home runs from Eric Gantenbein and Nathan Massey in a key 12-5 win at Rainier to stay a game behind first place Clatskanie in the Lewis & Clark League.
A miniscule strike zone meant this wouldn't be a game for pitchers, but Dan Wolfe scrapped through five innings to record the victory. Eric Gantenbein tossed two innings of hitless relief, while the Warriors teed off on Rainier reliever Garrett Karnoski for six runs in the final two innings.
To give Karnoski a little credit, the Warriors didn't really gash him, more like death by paper cuts.
"We forced some things and they had difficulty with the bunting game," said Warrenton head coach Lennie Wolfe. "Guys were sacrificing and getting on."
"We knew we had to get after defense and bunting. We got the heck after bunting today. We killed them with bunts."
All in all, the Warriors put down seven successful bunts on the day, four going for base hits and others leading to errors. But it was the good old long fly, a 2-run first inning home run by Eric Gantenbein, that put the Warriors up early.
Rainier's Billy Zimmerman hit a long home run to lead off the second inning, when the Columbians struck for two runs. Rainier threatened again with the dangerous Zimmerman at the plate, but a strikeout-throwout double play on a hit-and-run ended the threat, Wolfe's only strikeout of the contest.
Leading 6-2 going into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Columbians scored three times to close to within a run. Zimmerman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, one of eight batters hit by pitches in the game. Another run crossed the plate when first baseman Kevin Moore was ruled to have pulled his foot off the bag on what would have been the final out.
Warrenton responded quickly with three runs in the sixth inning, capped by a 2-run homer by Massey, his fourth of the season. A bunt base hit and three Rainier errors led to three more runs in the seventh as the Warriors pulled away for the win.
"We played well today," said Wolfe.
"Defensively we had only one errors and when Dan pitches, there will be ground balls. Kids gobbled them up."
Gantenbein finished the day 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs batted in, improving his Lewis & Clark League batting average to near .700. Beau Torres had two hits on the day, both bunts, after failing to get a bunt down in last week's loss to Clatskanie.
"It made the difference," said Wolfe, of his team's ability to sacrifice. "Most of the time they didn't even throw to first. It was a great improvement."
The Warriors, now 4-1 in league and 10-2 overall, host Vernonia Friday for a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader.
WARRENTON 2-1-0-1-2-3-3 12-7-1
RAINIER 0-2-0-0-3-0-0 5-4-7
W-Wolfe (5ip, 4h, 5r, 3er, k, 4bb, 2hp)
L-Marsh (5ip, 7h, 6r, 5er, 6k, 4bb, 4hp)
2B-Marsh. HR-Gantenbein, Zimmerman, Massey.
The Warriors put seven successful bunts in play and added timely home runs from Eric Gantenbein and Nathan Massey in a key 12-5 win at Rainier to stay a game behind first place Clatskanie in the Lewis & Clark League.
A miniscule strike zone meant this wouldn't be a game for pitchers, but Dan Wolfe scrapped through five innings to record the victory. Eric Gantenbein tossed two innings of hitless relief, while the Warriors teed off on Rainier reliever Garrett Karnoski for six runs in the final two innings.
To give Karnoski a little credit, the Warriors didn't really gash him, more like death by paper cuts.
"We forced some things and they had difficulty with the bunting game," said Warrenton head coach Lennie Wolfe. "Guys were sacrificing and getting on."
"We knew we had to get after defense and bunting. We got the heck after bunting today. We killed them with bunts."
All in all, the Warriors put down seven successful bunts on the day, four going for base hits and others leading to errors. But it was the good old long fly, a 2-run first inning home run by Eric Gantenbein, that put the Warriors up early.
Rainier's Billy Zimmerman hit a long home run to lead off the second inning, when the Columbians struck for two runs. Rainier threatened again with the dangerous Zimmerman at the plate, but a strikeout-throwout double play on a hit-and-run ended the threat, Wolfe's only strikeout of the contest.
Leading 6-2 going into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Columbians scored three times to close to within a run. Zimmerman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, one of eight batters hit by pitches in the game. Another run crossed the plate when first baseman Kevin Moore was ruled to have pulled his foot off the bag on what would have been the final out.
Warrenton responded quickly with three runs in the sixth inning, capped by a 2-run homer by Massey, his fourth of the season. A bunt base hit and three Rainier errors led to three more runs in the seventh as the Warriors pulled away for the win.
"We played well today," said Wolfe.
"Defensively we had only one errors and when Dan pitches, there will be ground balls. Kids gobbled them up."
Gantenbein finished the day 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs batted in, improving his Lewis & Clark League batting average to near .700. Beau Torres had two hits on the day, both bunts, after failing to get a bunt down in last week's loss to Clatskanie.
"It made the difference," said Wolfe, of his team's ability to sacrifice. "Most of the time they didn't even throw to first. It was a great improvement."
The Warriors, now 4-1 in league and 10-2 overall, host Vernonia Friday for a 3:00 p.m. doubleheader.
WARRENTON 2-1-0-1-2-3-3 12-7-1
RAINIER 0-2-0-0-3-0-0 5-4-7
W-Wolfe (5ip, 4h, 5r, 3er, k, 4bb, 2hp)
L-Marsh (5ip, 7h, 6r, 5er, 6k, 4bb, 4hp)
2B-Marsh. HR-Gantenbein, Zimmerman, Massey.
posted by Matt Richert at 9:27 PM
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