INS AND OUTS OF INNINGS

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It only takes an inning for the momentum to shift on the diamond.

Two innings, in separate games, proved the difference in the doubleheader baseball matchup between Brownstown Central and Trinity Lutheran on Saturday.

The Braves scored nine runs in the sixth inning of Game 1, then six runs in the first inning of Game 2 to secure 11-6 and 10-4 wins respectively at Alf Snyder Field.

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In Game 2, the Braves held their winning momentum from the early game.

Following a single by Carson Lambring, Ty Maxie hit an RBI single to put the Braves on the board.

Cole Brock hit an RBI single and Sy Zickler then slammed an RBI double to put BC up 3-0.

A wild pitch by Trinity’s Jake Moore allowed Brock to score from third before a sacrifice RBI from Ian Martin.

Austin Green scored the Braves’ final run in the first on a fielder’s choice to lead 6-0.

“We just kind of lit up,” Braves coach John Lawson said “Hitting is contagious, and we started getting runners on and getting hits. They made some mistakes and we took advantage of it.”

Trinity got a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning as Chandler Reynolds hit an RBI single and Ross Kruse plated a run off a passed ball.

An error at third base scored Maxie to give Brownstown the 7-2 advantage after two innings.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, Aden Jones managed an RBI single to left field for the Cougars.

Bailey Baker scored from third on an error at the Braves’ third base to narrow the deficit.

Neither team could get their bats going in the fourth or fifth inning, as stingy defense kept the score at 7-4.

In the top of the seventh, Brock and Green hit RBI singles en route to the win.

Zickler was awarded the win on the mound for the Braves with three strikeouts, eight hits and no earned runs.

Heading into the sixth inning of game one, Trinity held a 6-1 advantage.

The Cougars’ offense rolled, scoring three runs in each of the first two innings.

Sam Crick had two RBIs while Chandler Reynolds and Jacob VonDielingen each pushed one runner across the plate for the Cougars.

Cody Williams got the call to the mound for the Braves in the third inning, and didn’t give up a run the rest of the way while amassing five strikeouts and two walks.

After four innings from Jacob Schult, the Cougars rotated Kruse, Crick and Moore on the mound.

“We started off the day great, we had clutch hits and gave ourselves a nice lead,” Cougars coach Bob Tabeling said. “What’s been happening all year long is that our pitchers have done a good job throwing strikes. We got behind, and Brownstown put a tremendous amount of balls in play. They’re a 3A school that’s used to seeing anything we throw. We combined errors on top of that and next thing you know it’s nine runs later.”

The Braves scored nine runs behind eight hits in the sixth inning.

A two-run triple by McCory gave the Braves their first lead at 7-6.

Brock followed with an RBI single and Stuckwisch nailed a three-run double before reaching third with the next at-bat.

“If you look at the sixth of the first and the first in the second game, we couldn’t get ourselves out of it,” Tabeling said. “Unfortunately it was in the first and second game.

“I told the guys that our pitchers won’t get us out of every situation. We’re going to have to play from behind at times and we haven’t seen that much besides the North Harrison game. We didn’t respond well from being behind.”

Carson Lambring had a pair of single and a double and Zach McCory tallied three RBI for the Braves.

The Braves (7-2, 2-0 MSC) play at Mid-Southern Conference foes North Harrison today.

“It was a good day overall,” Lawson said of the doubleheader sweep. “We did all the things right after we got over the hump in the first three innings of the first game. Our guys stayed positive and didn’t quit. We’re just trying to win ball games.”

The Braves snapped a nine-games winning streak for the Class A Maxpreps No. 1 Cougars.

Tabeling said that his team needs to bounce back quickly from the losses.

“We’ve got a very tough schedule coming up with Scottsburg, Jac-Cen-Del and Indianapolis Lutheran,” he said. “We have to let this going and start going back to work (today). In those (tight) situations, we have to be comfortable from behind. All of the hitting drills, practices, philosophy has to stay with you when you’re behind — today we didn’t do a good job of that. It was extremely difficult.”

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