GREENFIELD — After a late start, Greenfield-Central took care of things early.
Wednesday’s second game of the Cougars’ Hoosier Heritage Conference baseball two-game series with New Castle had a near 90-minute delay due to lightning and rain.
Once the game started, Greenfield-Central took care of business quickly, winning in five innings, 11-1 over the Trojans at Molinder Field.
G-C is 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference. The Cougars won Tuesday’s game in New Castle 12-3. The Trojans are 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the HHC.
“We’ve had two good pitching performances in the last two days. They’ve kept us in the game until our offense got going,” Greenfield-Central head coach Mark Vail said. “I thought last night, and tonight, we took advantage of the mistakes they made. We were very good at taking advantage of an error or bobble and then coming through.
“We were very happy with the base-running. They were very alert and looking for every opportunity to take a base.”
On Tuesday, it was senior pitcher Parker Stanley getting the win. Wednesday’s victory went to sophomore Conner Sims, getting his first varsity start.
Sims threw four and one-third innings in his first opportunity on the Molinder Field mound, giving up one run, four hits and striking out five. Andrew Zellers, another sophomore, entered in the fifth and struck out the only two batters faced.
“More than we could have hoped for,” Vail said of his first-time starter’s performance.
The aggressive base running got the Cougars a quick 1-0 lead. They scored without getting a hit.
Senior center fielder Lance McKee drew a one-out second-inning walk. He stole second base and went to third on a wild pitch.
On the wild pitch, he was able to entice a throw from New Castle catcher Jacob Lucas, it sailed over the head of third baseman Jake Barber and McKee scored the game’s first run.
“We talk about getting to that next base and we have some kids that can run,” Vail added.
The Cougars added four in the third on just two hits. Jacob Riegle opened the inning by reaching on an error. Grant Shepherd followed with a one-out double off the center-field fence, G-C’s first hit of the game, for a 2-0 lead.
Gavin Atwood reached on wild pitch after striking out. Shepherd came across on a Kalob Martin ground out and McKee later had a two-run single.
Sims’s only true trouble came in the fourth inning.
The Trojans had already scored one run when they had the bases loaded with no outs. Sims struck out Bryce Jenkins, then got a superb defensive play from shortstop Carson Gibson, who ran deep into foul territory to catch a pop fly, off the bat of Barber, for the second out.
The inning ended on Trighton Cummings’ fly out to left fielder Shepherd.
“(Sims) for a sophomore he kept his poise very well and made some pitches and then Carson made the great play. That’s what it’s about, about everybody finding a way,” Vail added.
In the fourth inning, the Cougars scored six times on five hits. Nick Grandstaff had two hits in the inning, including a two-run single. Atwood had an RBI-double. Gibson also had a double. There were also a pair of walks and a New Castle error.
Greenfield-Central had seven hits, all coming in the third and fourth inning.
McKee and Grandstaff each had two hits and two RBI on the night. Martin also knocked in two.
“It’s matter of when you get your hits. So far, we’re getting them at the right time,” Vail said.
Greenfield-Central returns to action with a doubleheader at Lapel Saturday.
