Tigers top Pike 10-4 to improve to 2-0

Apr. 10—INDIANAPOLIS — A big question mark for the Lebanon baseball team this spring was going to be their pitching behind ace Garrett Harker.

If Friday night's game against Pike was any indication, the Tigers are going to be in a good spot.

Lebanon got strong pitching effort's from Brayton Bowen and Caleb Linton, and added some timely runs late to top the Red Devils 10-4.

"The first two games, pitching has been really good for us," Lebanon head coach Rick Cosgray said. "Brayton came out, had good command, worked in his off-speed when he needed to and worked out of some jams. Caleb came in during a tough spot, and got us out of the jam and then finished it out."

Bowen retired the first six batters he faced before allowing a run in the third.

Heading into the fifth, the Tigers led 6-1, but Bowen got into a little trouble.

After a runner reached on a dropped third strike and an infield single, a walk loaded the bases with no outs.

Another error made it 6-2, and brought the tying run to the plate. Catcher Gavin Haines picked off a runner at first for the first out, but the runner on third stole home on the play to make it 6-3.

After another walk, a single cut the Tigers' lead to 6-4, and put the tying run at first with one out.

Linton came in and struck out the next two batters on six pitches, preserving the Tigers' lead.

"Hopefully that's a big confidence booster for him," Cosgray said. "There is no doubt he has the ability, but you have to show that you can go out and perform at the varsity level. Tonight he did, and hopefully he can build off that."

Lebanon took the momentum back in the next half inning, going up 7-4 on an RBI-single by Michael Richwine. The Tigers then scored three in the seventh, getting an RBI-single from Garrett Harker, and adding two more on wild pitches.

Lebanon scored seven runs in their final three plate appearances.

"The middle innings (2-4) were not good for us at the plate," Cosgray said. "We didn't make good adjustments. We talked to the kids about a couple things, and in the latter part of the game, we started hitting the ball on the nose again. It was good to add on those runs and get a little bigger cushion."

Lebanon took control of the game in the first inning, loading the bases with one out and scoring three runs on a wild pitch, and RBI singles by Peyton Komrska and Richwine.

But Lebanon managed just one hit in the next three innings and kept the Red Devils in the game.

"You can't become complacent," Cosgray said. "Against Knightstown on Wednesday, we didn't when we scored four in the first inning. Tonight after we scored three, we did. We have to work on adding runs inning by inning."

Lebanon did add three in the fifth, getting a 2-run double by Kayden Sloggett, who then scored on a single by Haines before the Red Devils scored three in the bottom half of the inning.

Richwine was 3-for-4 for the Tigers, with Sloggett going 2-for-4. Both drove in two and scored one.

Lebanon (2-0) is off until Tuesday when they travel to Frankfort to open Sagamore Conference play.

Cosgray said he is happy with the start, but added there is a lot still to work on.

"We have a young group and any win is a big boost for us, especially being our first road game," Cosgray said. "We have a lot of mental mistakes tonight. There are a lot of things we can go back and improve upon heading into next week."

Will Willems is the Sports Editor of the Lebanon Reporter. Follow him on Twitter @Will_Willems.