Joey Niezer threw a complete-game two-hitter, capped by three huge defensive plays by the sophomore righthander, to pace the Little Giants’ 3-2 victory over undefeated and number-one ranked Wooster Sunday afternoon.
The victory snapped a 27-game winning streak by the Scots, the longest in the nation and longest in Wooster school history. It is also the first win in 12 tries by Wabash against the Scots. (View photos from the weekend series.)
"We need to learn that we can play with any team in the country as long as we eliminate the mistakes we’ve made in other games this year," head coach Cory Stevens said after the game. We came into this weekend wanting to prove to ourselves more than any one else how we are capable of playing.
"There’s no better way to do that than playing one of the best teams in the nation in Wooster. Not only in this win, but even in the two losses on Saturday we showed we could be competitive. Wooster is a great team, but we showed today we can compete at this level."
The Little Giants managed just four hits in two games on Saturday, but opened Sunday’s contest with a sharp single up the middle by leadoff hitter Kyle Rush. The freshman outfielder stole second, then raced to third on a wild pitch. Sophomore shortstop Matt Dodaro laced an RBI single to left center, scoring Rush to give Wabash a 1-0 lead.
Niezer sat down the Scots in order in the first, but gave up an unearned run in the second when he slipped on a ground ball back to the mound while throwing to first. Wooster’s Pat Christensen went all the way to second, scoring on two consecutive ground balls to tie the game at 1-1 without the benefit of a single hit.
The score wouldn’t be tied for long. Bobby Ritz ripped a shot up the middle that Wooster pitcher John Warren knocked down with his bare hand. But Warren’s throw to first sailed past the bag, putting Ritz at second on the error. Two batters later Jake Thomas smashed a pitch off the scoreboard in right field for his third homer of the season to give the Little Giants a 3-1 lead.
"I didn’t think it was gone when I first hit it," Thomas said. "I knew I hit it well, but then I saw the right fielder start running toward the wall. I thought it hit short of the fence, but then the umpire signaled home run and the rest of my teammates started yelling that it hit off the scoreboard."
The Scots went down in order in the bottom half of the third, then missed a chance to score in the fourth thanks to a tremendous play by Niezer in the field. Sean Karpen singled to lead off the fourth inning for Wooster, moving to third base on two stolen bases. Karpen broke for the plate on a tapper toward the mound by Christensen that Niezer fielded with his glove and flipped toward catcher Scott Hamilton. The senior receiver tagged Karpen out at the plate, preserving the two-run lead.
"We actually practice that play a lot," Niezer said. "I just reacted when the ball was hit."
Niezer held the Scots to one base runner in the sixth before he issued a walk and a hit batsmen in the seventh. Wooster made him pay for the mistake on the only other hit of the game for the Scots on a single to right by Shaun Swearingen. Niezer worked his way out of the jam, however, when pinch-hitter Sheldon Steiner hit a pitch back to the mound. After bobbling the ball at first, Niezer fired a strike to Shaun Rico at first, retiring Steiner and bringing the inning to an end.
"I wasn’t sure I would still have a chance to throw him out," Niezer said. "But when I turned and saw he was still only halfway down the line, I knew I had time to throw him out."
The Little Giants could not mount any offense against Wooster reliever Mark Miller, but would prove that three runs would be enough. Niezer gave up a one-out walk in the eighth to put the tying run on base, but retired the next two batters on a ground out and a fly ball to left to send the game to the ninth inning.
After going down in order in the top of the ninth, the Wabash defense took the field in support of Niezer. The first batter of the inning grounded back to the mound for the first out. Niezer then hit shortstop John Quimby to not only put the tying run at first, but also set the Wabash and North Coast Athletic Conference single season record for hit batters with 20. But the righty starter responded by inducing the next hitter to pop up to Dodaro at short for the second out, putting Wabash one out away from the win.
"The first out is the most important," Stevens said. "We had two pitchers warming up in the pen, but I felt good about our chances when he got the first out in the ninth."
That out would have to wait. Niezer added to his record-setting effort by hitting Swearingen to put the tying run on second and the winning run at first. And that’s right where they would stay. Pinch-hitter Brandon Boesiger, who blasted two home runs in two games Saturday, grounded to Mike Nowak at second for the final out of the game.
"I was just trying to throw strikes at the end," Niezer said. "I got the ball in on the last hitter’s hands and got the ground ball we needed.
"Joey did exactly what we wanted – he kept the ball in the infield," Stevens said. "Mike played a great defensive game all weekend, so as soon as the last ball was hit to him, it was the first time I knew we could get ready to enjoy this moment as a team."
"Joey battled all day. Normally we wouldn’t let any pitcher go nine innings for a complete game, but the way he was pitching we had no choice. He battled hitters, challenging them in every at bat while keeping them off-stride."
Niezer’s complete game victory was his second of the season, moving him to 3-2 for the year. He surrendered only two hits, while walking two batters and striking out five in addition to the four hit batters.
Thomas had two of the seven hits for Wabash in the game, adding a single to his home run. He also made a huge diving catch to take away an extra base hit from the Scots in the sixth inning.
Wabash improves to 11-20-1 with the win, while the Scots are now 27-1 for the year. The Little Giants will play Franklin College Thursday evening at Victory Field in Indianapolis.
Photos - (top right) Joey Niezer pitches in a game earlier this season. He held Wooster to just two hits in the Wabash victory Sunday afternoon.
(middle left) Matt Dodaro drove home the first run with a single in the first inning.
(bottom right) Jake Thomas helped with his bat and his glove. His two-run home made a difference on the offensive side, while his diving catch to start the sixth inning helped preserve the victory.