GRANGER — Years from now the answer to the trivia question will be: Greene County, 8-0, on June 27.
The 11-11 Rams became the first team Tuesday to defeat Class 2A No. 4 Woodward-Granger this season, rolling to the aforementioned 8-0 win.
“They threw probably the best pitcher we have seen this season at us and he had us all tied up,” W-G head coach Eric Evans said of Greene County starter Ben Wilkens. “We hurt ourselves with four uncharacteristic errors and just didn’t play well.”
“You know their is just about no way you are not going to stumble somewhere along the way, and I really like the way our guys handled it,” he added. “Yes, they were disappointed, but they were also very loose — I never believe losing is a good thing, but this might have taken some of the pressure off of us, and now we can get back to just playing baseball.”
Wilkens (4-2) now owns wins over W-G (25-1), 3A No. 7 Saydel (21-3) and a tough Roland-Story (18-12) team. He needed only 84 pitches in throwing seven innings, issuing five hits and a walk while striking out five. The junior threw 19 first-pitch strikes to the 27 batters he faced, helping set the tone.
The Rams scored twice in the first, then dodged immediate danger as the Hawks tried to get right back in the game in their first at-bat.
Brady Aunspach led off with a hit, with Marcus McConahay beating out a sacrifice bunt after Aunspach had stolen second to put runners on the corners. Wilkens then snared a line-drive straight back to the mound, doubling off McConahay and then getting out of the inning unscathed.
“I think that turned the game right there,” Evans said. “If we get one, two or more right there, who knows?”
The visitors scored once in the second and four times in the fourth to open a 7-0 gulf, a margin that grew with a final run in the fifth.
Chase Stoline was 2-for-4 with four stolen bases and three runs scored for the Rams, with Tom Gannon and Wade Adcock hitting doubles.
Matt Buch had two hits for W-G, with Aunspach, McConahay and Reese Jamison each adding hits.
McConahay made school history in Monday’s win at Madrid, setting new a career runs scored mark at 108 and tying the school standard for career steals at 83. Both records were formerly held by Race Brant.
The senior also set a new runs in a single season mark at 41, topping the old record held by Brock Seeman (2006). McConahay has 33 steals this season; the school season-theft mark is 38, established by Brent Achenbach in 1990.
Freshman Brandon Worley lost his first career game after winning eight consecutive decisions as an eighth-grader and frosh. He allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in two innings. Buch tossed two frames, surrendering five runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks, with Jamison walking two in two innings of work while Nick Brummond pitched the seventh.
Evans noted it was the first game in his career no Hawk pitcher had recorded a strikeout.
“I told the guys after the game to realize there are many, many schools who have never had a 25-game winning streak,” he said. “We won the conference in 2006, 2009 and 2010 — when we finished 24-5, our best record ever — and winning the conference is still very much alive.”
“The only thing that happened tonight was that we lost a baseball game and had a winning streak end,” Evans concluded. “It doesn’t effect our goals. Everything we want to play for is still there in front us.”
W-G (25-1) plays a WCAC twinbill at No. 8 Van Meter (22-2) Thursday, with both teams 16-0 in league play. Rain is forecast, and with both teams facing full slates next week it is likely a rain date, if needed, would be set for Saturday, although Monday would remain a remote possibility. ThePerryNews.com will have, if necessary, any rescheduled announcement.
