By RICHIE HALL
SHERIDAN – The Sheridan baseball team picked up a nice Senior Night win on Wednesday.
The Blackhawks got their bats going in the later innings and that led to a 13-3, six-inning victory over Traders Point Christian. Sheridan scored seven runs in the sixth inning to finish the game by the 10-run rule.
“Our bats have just really started coming around here recently,” said ‘Hawks coach Adam Spencer. “We’ve made some moves in our lineup and it’s paid dividends, because we know our first through three hitters are going to hit eventually, but our middle guys are the ones that seem to jumpstart things.
The Knights led 2-1 through three innings. Sheridan took the lead in the bottom of the fourth; Cole Macintosh got home on an error to tie the game, then Camden Spencer scored to get the Blackhawks in front. Zach Bales stole home, then Evan Grinstead scored when Silas DeVaney was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Spencer hit a sixth-inning double to score DeVaney and get Sheridan ahead 9-3. The Blackhawks scored one run on each of their final four at-bats. David Will ended the game when he got home on a passed ball.
Bales got the pitching win, throwing five innings. He also hit a fifth-inning double, in addition to scoring three runs.
Dayne Voege pitched the sixth inning to finish up the game. Macintosh and Camden Spencer both scored two runs.
“Early on we struggled a little bit, but Zach Bales was a stud on the mound tonight,” said Adam Spencer. “He probably threw 85 pitches and has a bent-up finger, slid into third – I mean, it’s swollen all the time – but he was a stud on the mound tonight and then our defense really played well.”
Catcher DeVaney made a big play in the top of the sixth inning, making a catch in foul territory for the third out. First baseman Camden Spencer also got an inning-ending catch, that one in the top of the third.
“When you can make those plays that don’t extend innings, then your pitchers, I think they just feel better,” said Adam Spencer. “They trust their defense more, so they trust their stuff more. And that’s what happened tonight.”
Sheridan is 6-4 and hosts Taylor Saturday in a doubleheader.
SHERIDAN 13, TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN 3
(6 innings)
Sheridan AB R H RBI
Sebastian Salazar 3 1 0 0
Dayne Voege 3 1 1 0
Silas DeVaney 3 1 0 1
Cole Macintosh 3 2 1 1
Camden Spencer 1 2 1 1
Zach Bales 2 3 1 0
Nathan Henshaw 4 1 0 0
David Will 2 1 0 0
Evan Grinstead 3 1 0 1
Totals 24 13 4 4
Score by Innings
Traders Point 002 001 – 3 6 5
Sheridan 010 417 – 13 4 5
2B: Bales, Spencer. SB: Bales 3, Henshaw 2, Will, Grinstead, Spencer. SAC: Macintosh. HBP: Spencer 2, DeVaney, Salazar.
Sheridan pitching IP R ER H
Bales 5 3 2 6
Voege 1 0 0 0
Strikeouts: Bales 3, Voege 2. Walks: Bales 1, Voege 1.