More lousy weather, plus a sneak peek at the sectionals
Shakamak ran the table in Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference play yet again this season. The Lakers' 6-2 win at Bloomfield last Friday gave Shakamak a perfect 7-0 conference record.
But in an all-too-familiar scenario this spring, it took the Lakers two days to finish off the Cardinals. Play was suspended the previous night with Shakamak leading 4-1 and Bloomfield batting in the bottom of the third.
And just one night earlier, on Wednesday Shakamak and Eastern Greene finished what they'd started way back on April 26.
On the originally scheduled date Shakamak was coming to bat in the bottom of the third inning when lightning was spotted in the area. The game was halted and players were cleared from the field. Officials later decided to suspend play for the rest of the evening.
Shakamak was leading 8-0 at the time.
The game was rescheduled to be resumed Tuesday, May 10 but that date was rained out too.
So the teams convened the next day and resumed where they'd left off.
And again, Mother Nature interrupted the second go-around.
Lightning was again sighted with the Lakers batting in the bottom of the fifth inning. After a delay the game was declared official after four-and-a-half innings with Shakamak still leading 8-0.
It was more of the same old song and dance Tuesday when the Mistress of the Skies put a damper on Shakamak's Senior Night festivities.
What had been a light drizzle throughout the day steadily progressed until the field was rendered virtually unplayable.
The coaches and umpires gathered and decided to call it a night after five complete innings were in the books with West Vigo leading the Lakers 8-2.
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And that's not the worst of it.
Saturday dawned cold and blustery. With the mercury hovering in the forties and the wind gusting the weather was almost reminiscent of Shakamak's season opener in the Northview Invitational the first weekend in April.
But it wasn't a lost weekend for area teams.
Linton-Stockton made the long trek to Mount Vernon on the banks of the Ohio and came home with a 6-2 win.
White River Valley and Eastern Greene earned doubleheader splits Saturday.
Eastern Greene hosted Orleans in a twin bill, winning a close one 8-7 in the lid-lifter. The Orleans Bulldogs pounded out 11 hits to take the second game 13-8.
Barr-Reeve visited White River Valley and the Wolverines took the first game 4-2 behind the pitching of Brayton Cornelius. Cornelius fanned 12 and scattered three hits allowing just one earned run.
The Vikings came back with a 15-2 win in game two. I'm taking that outcome with a grain of salt. Coach Chris Cornelius sent position players to the mound who normally don't pitch.
White River Valley is quietly enjoying its most successful baseball season in school history with 15 wins and counting.
Shakamak advanced to the championship game of the Tom Miles Invitational at Washington defeating Austin 1-0 Saturday. Braden Scott tossed a complete-game shutout. Parker Green's RBI single drove in Zack Moorman with the game's only run.
In the championship the Washington Hatchets came from behind to defeat Shakamak 5-4.
The Lakers put all four runs on the board in the third frame. Washington tied it in the sixth on an RBI single by Jake Bedwell and Zach Scheid's two-run homer. The winning run scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.
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The late great Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks is famous for saying, "Hey hey, let's play two today!"
I'm not sure Old Ern' would have wanted to play two this past Saturday...
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The weather forecasts I've read are predicting a hot, dry summer. We could use some of that right now.
And so could the ball fields.
Especially with the sectionals starting next week.
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Hard to believe it's that time of year again but the IHSAA baseball sectionals are starting Wednesday.
Eastern Greene, Shakamak and sectional host Linton-Stockton will compete in Class 2A Sectional 47.
The Lakers and Miners enter as the likely co-favorites. Shakamak won a 7-6 slugfest two weeks ago at Linton.
On paper at least it looks like the Lakers got the most beneficial draw. Shakamak and Eastern Greene both drew byes and face each other the second game on Memorial Day.
Yes, they play high school baseball - and softball - on Memorial Day here in Indiana...
Linton-Stockton opens with North Knox who the Miners beat 10-0 last Friday in yet another make-up game.
South Knox and Mitchell follow and the winners will meet in Game 3 Monday morning.
One potential drawback for the Lakers is this - they play the Thunderbirds in Monday's second game. So they'll have less turnaround time before the championship tilt should they get past Eastern Greene.
In Class A Sectional 57 hosted by White River Valley, Bloomfield plays Eminence in Wednesday's only game. The winner gets North Central in Thursday's second game.
The host Wolverines take on Clay City in Thursday's opener.
Kyler Rhodes' Eels beat the Wolverines 8-0 five weeks ago at Switz City.
I'm not a betting man, but if I was, I'd almost bet WRV will see Clay City ace Hunter Wolfe get the ball for this one.
Thursday's winners meet in the sectional championship Memorial Day.
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With the renovations White River Valley has done on its facilities, I think WRV is going to be a great sectional host.
And with the awesome Switz City Gym on its property, the school has plenty of experience hosting tournaments!
Terry's Weekly Rankings
1. Shakamak (14-10, 7-0)
2. Linton-Stockton (14-7, 6-1)
3. White River Valley (15-7, 3-4)
4. Eastern Greene (6-13, 2-5)
5. Bloomfield (7-12, 2-5)
NOTE: Records through May 19
Terry Schwinghammer is a sports writer for the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by telephone at (812) 847-4487, ext. 27. He can also be reached via email at tschwing32@yahoo.com.
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