For The Tribune
Not scoring when in position can make all the difference in a game.
The Trinity Lutheran baseball team stranded eight runners as they fell 9-5 to visiting Oldenburg Academy on Tuesday at Alf Snyder Field.
Cougars coach Bob Tabeling said he was pleased to see his Cougars pound out 10 hits and score runs in the first four innings of Tuesday’s game against Oldenburg Academy.
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However, Tabeling also said he felt like his team had opportunities to put several more runs on the board.
“You look at the first four innings, and we score runs in each one of those innings, and we scored one in one inning, and two in the other three, but the opportunity was to score three or four more and put a whole lot of pressure on the other team,” Tabeling said.
Sam Crick led off the fifth inning with a double but did not advance as the next three batters made outs and the Cougars had the bases loaded in the seventh inning with one out, but did not score.
“We managed to get the tying run to the plate and we needed that big hit and it didn’t happen, but in the first four innings we were getting hits and putting runners in scoring position and we let them get away,” Tabeling said.
“That hurts, and that puts more and more pressure on you throughout the game.”
Both of the teams scored in each of the first four innings resulting in a 7-5 lead for the Twisters.
After the Twisters took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, the Cougars came back with one run in their half of the inning.
The Cougars’ Jacob Moore led off with a walk, he went to second on a wild pitch, and stole third. When the catcher’s throw went into left field, Moore score.
Ross Kruse led off the second inning for the Cougars with a double and he scored on a single by Nick Mensendiek.
The Twisters held a 5-2 lead entering the bottom of the third when Bobby Tabeling walked and Moore singled.
Following a sacrifice by Crick, Jacob Schult grounded to first with Bobby Tabeling scoring, and Moore scored on a wild pitch.
The Cougars added a run in the fourth when Caleb Reedy singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kendyll White.
Moore, Chandler Reynolds, and Mensendiek had two hits each for the Cougars.
Oldenburg had 13 hits, and the Cougars committed five errors resulting in a lot of scoring opportunities for the Twisters.
“They hit the ball well,” Bob Tabeling said. “We’ve seen where they’ve scored 17, 18, 18 19 runs in a game. They’re swinging the bat, they’re not looking to walk, and that came true. They were aggressive on good pitches. They got some of those two-out hits. I’d say over half (five) of their runs were scored with two outs.
“We’ve got to continue on that and close it out. You’ve got to tip your hat. When you can score with two outs and nobody on and handle the bat well, that’s what they did today. There were definitely runs we gave away.”
Trinity retired the first two batters in the third and sixth innings, and Oldenburg rallied to score twice in the third and once in the fifth.
The Cougars (7-9) and will play host to South Decatur on Thursday.