By: Joe Shouse, Sportswriter
ANTWERP – Last Monday the Wayne Trace Raiders baseball squad traveled to Antwerp for a non-league contest. The game was originally scheduled as a Raider home game but due to field conditions the game was moved to Antwerp. The Raiders prevailed 6-5 to move their record to 2-1 while the Archers even their mark at 2-2.
Both teams were scoreless after the first inning of play followed by each team scoring a run in the second frame. With the score knotted heading into the third inning, the Archers took the lead 2-1. However, the Raider’s bats came alive in their half of the third inning – scoring four times. Senior Haydn Gillett singled and senior Caleb Yenser came up with a double to drive in two runs each on back-to-back hits.
With the Raiders on top 5-2 the Archers would answer with three runs of their own thanks to three Wayne Trace errors. After four innings of play the score was again even at five a piece.
The bottom of the fifth gave the Raiders the upper hand with what would end up being the winning run. A combination of heads-up base running coupled by untimely Archer errors would give the Raiders the one-run win.
In the crucial fifth inning the red, white, and blue opened with Drew Forrer reaching first base due to an Antwerp error. Head Coach Ryan Jerome made a base running change with Dane Moore pinch running for Forrer. The change paid huge dividends as Moore managed to steal second. With Korbin Slade at the plate, the senior shot a grounder to the short stop allowing Moore to advance to third when the Archer short stop threw to first.
Up next at the plate for the Raiders was Gillett who answered with a grounder back to the short stop. Moore, at third base, wasted little time as he darted to home for what would be the winning run.
“Once Dane (Moore) saw the short stop make the throw to first base he knew what to do. He gave us the go-ahead run which is what we were looking for. The Antwerp throw actually went wild and ended up as an error,” said Coach Jerome.
The Archer’s out hit the victorious Raiders 7-5 with sophomore Austin Lichty hammering out two singles and one RBI. Jacob Savina added a single along with an RBI. Also with singles were Keaton Altimus and Dylan Hines who also added an RBI. Leading the Archer offense was freshman Luke Krouse with a double, single and one RBI.
For the winning Raiders, their five hits came from Gillett with two singles and two RBIs. Yenser collected a double along with two RBIs. Gillett and Reid Miller each added a single.
The winning pitcher was Grant Baumle with Zuber picking up the loss for the Archers.
