BY TRAVIS DAVID
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The top two baseball programs in the area squared off against one another on Saturday. At the end of the day, it was Sullivan who got the better of visiting Shakamak.
The Arrows erased an early 2-0 hole with four unanswered runs in a 4-2 win over the Lakers.
The win was also a memorable one for Sullivan coach Tony Steimel. The veteran skipper notched his 100th career win in the victory.
Ty Hamilton delivered the game-winning base hit in the home half of the fifth inning to give Sullivan its 10th win of the season in 12 games.
After Carter Mischler (single) and Jaden Norris (double) started the inning with back-to-back hits, Hamilton broke a 2-all tie with the 2-run single to center field.
The only base runner the Lakers managed over the final two frames came on a dropped third strike to start the seventh. Norris added three more punchouts in the inning for the rare 4-strikeout inning to earn the save.
Hamilton tossed the first four innings, allowing two runs despite not surrendering a hit. The powerful junior hurler offset five free passes with seven strikeouts.
Hunter Mason pitched the fifth and sixth frames to earn the win.
Linden Jenkins gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the third inning before Jaden Johnson came around to score on a wild pitch. Johnson had reached base earlier in the third on a walk.
Sullivan pulled even in the last of the fourth inning as Jaxon Zollman came up with a two-out, 2-run single.
Blake Huff and Jenkins produced the only two hits in the game for the Lakers.
The loss was the second in as many nights for Shakamak. The Lakers dropped a tough 2-0 decision Friday night against Class 3A West Vigo.
The Lakers outhit West Vigo, in the loss.
The Vikings pushed across the only two runs of the contest in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly and a 2-out single.
Huff, Dolton Fiscus and Owen Cox all recorded a pair of hits for the Lakers.
Jenkins was the tough-luck loser, going the distance. The big lefty allowed just two hits and fanned four batters.
Shakamak squandered scoring opportunities all throughout the game. The Lakers had two runners on base in each of the first three innings as well as the fifth and seventh frames. Fiscus led off the last of the sixth with a double and advanced no further.
On Thursday, Shakamak pounded out 15 hits in a 7-5 win on the road against Vincennes Rivet.
Fiscus and Cox both recorded two-baggers in the win with Cox driving in a pair of runs.
Ian Samm recorded two hits and scored three runs in the win, while Jackson Roberts, Jenkins and Johnson all collected two hits as well.
Samm pitched into the fifth inning to earn the win and Johnson recorded the final four outs for the save. The Patriots scored three times in the last of the sixth inning before Johnson came in to close the door.
After the three games during the week, Shakamak is now 4-3 on the season.
The 2A No. 5 ranked Arrows also had a busy week, p[laying four games.
Sullivan started the week with a 15-9 win at South Vermillion, followed by a 6-1 win against Cascade.
On Wednesday, Sullivan saw its 7-game winning streak come to an end with a 6-2 setback against Western Indiana Conference rival Edgewood.
Mischler had two hits in the loss to the Mustangs while Spencer Hanks drove in a pair of runs.
The host Mustangs grabbed a 6-0 lead with four runs in the third and two more tallies in the fourth.
Hanks ended the shutout bid with a 2-run single in the sixth.
Sullivan went down in order in the seventh.
Against Cascade, the Arrows grabbed control early with a 3-run first inning. Karsen Norris and Adam McKinley were plunked by pitches with the bases loaded for bookend runs in the opening frame. Zollman also worked a bases-loaded walk in the half inning.
Mischler earned the win on the bump, tossing the first five innings and allowed just three hits.
Jaden Norris and Zane Abbott both recorded doubles in the win.
To start the week, the Sullivan offense pounded out 14 hits in the win against the Wildcats. The Arrows scored the first 11 runs of the game, including a 6-run first inning on the road.
Mason opened the scoring with an RBI single to jumpstart his 3-hit performance at the dish.
Abbott capped the top of the first with a 2-run double.
Hanks (single) and Zollman (double) highlighted the second inning with 2-run base knocks while Jaden Norris smacked a solo home run to lead off the Arrows’ fifth.
Hanks pitched the final four innings to earn the win in relief.
With the three wins during the week, Sullivan improved to 10-2 on the season.
