Saturday, June 20th, 2009
Cavaliers get enough pitching to win
By Mark Ruschau
COLDWATER - On a night where their pitching struggled, it was the pitching that actually saved Coldwater as the Cavaliers found its hitting stroke when it needed to rally and post an 11-7 non league win over the Shawnee Indians in ACME action on Friday night at Veterans Field.
With the win, their fourth in a row, Coldwater improves to 8-4. Shawnee falls to 11-3 with the loss.
On the night, a quartet of Cavalier pitchers allowed Shawnee just three hits but gave up seven runs, walked 13, threw four wild pitches, a balk and a hit batsman.
The saving grace for the Coldwater pitching staff was the work of the final two pitchers, Jordan Woeste and Alex Kramer, who allowed just one run and no hits over the final 42/3 innings.
"The work by Jordan and Alex to end the game was huge," said Coldwater coach Tom James. "There is no question that we are short on pitching, we have three kids gone this week and all our pitching staff has been overworked to get two kids like Jordan and Alex who do not normally pitch to come and help is huge. They came in, threw the ball across the plate and our defense made some plays for them. The last few innings showed what happens when you throw strikes. Nick Schramm came out and struggled throwing but the last time out he threw well and hopefully he will bounce back. If you throw strikes, make plays and good things will happen.
"Our pitching situation is obviously a concern," continued James. "Keith Wenning is banged up a little right now and he is our number one and then tonight we were short three more arms, so pitching is a concern. Tomorrow it will be Johnny Wholestaff and who ever we can find and maybe we can find some pitching on the way to Northmont tomorrow."
Trailing 6-2 entering the bottom of the third, Coldwater scored twice in the third and six times in the fourth to take control of the game. In the third, Woeste triples to start the inning. After Aaron Rammel walked, Keith Wenning singled to score Woeste, with Rammel taking third. Rammel scored the second run of the inning to cut the deficit to 6-4.
Coldwater sent ten men to the plate, scoring six times to take the lead for good in the fourth. Keith Wenning and Alex Winner had the big hits in the frame, each driving in two runs.
"I do not know what is up with these guys, but it seems like every game that we are able to come up with one big inning offensively," said James. "It is a nice trademark to have to be able to come up with that one big inning but it would be nice to be able find some consistency offensively and score in more innings.
"One thing that this team has constantly done is that they have had a well good approach at the plate," continue James. "They do not go the plate and get themselves out by swinging at bad pitches, they know the strike zone, keep their hands back, keep behind the ball and it where it is pitch. Our approach at the plate has been excellent and I expect it to continue"
Coldwater is back in action today with a noon doubleheader at Northmont in a rematch of the 2008 State ACME championship final.
