RANDY HISNER
WZBD.com
MAPLES – The bullpen came to the rescue for the Heritage Patriots at home Friday night.
Relievers Iestyn Roe and Jaxon Feasby stifled the Concordia Cadets’ bats for the last five innings in the Patriots’ 11-3 win, their ninth straight.
With the Patriots (10-1) nursing a slim 3-2 lead, starter Landri Linder gave up a single to Concordia’s Carson Rupley to start the third inning, and Heritage coach Dean Lehrman called on Roe. Though he struggled a bit at first, walking a batter and hitting another, he got out of the jam with only Rupley scoring, on Jack Belschner’s sacrifice fly.
Roe proceeded to give up no runs on two hits over the next two innings before handing the ball to Feasby to start the sixth. Feasby continued the bullpen mastery, shutting out the Cadets (4-7) while yielding only a single and a walk.
“Iestyn had a really rough outing against Luers this week, and this was just a great bounce back performance,” Coach Lehrman said. “Talented young kid, a sophomore, and Jaxon (Feasby) is also a sophomore.”
Still another sophomore, third baseman Elijah Rauner, dug the Patriots out of a hole in the first inning. With one run in and the bases loaded with only one out, Rauner speared Nolan Winicker’s line drive with a lightning-quick dive to his right. He then tapped third base with his glove to double up Rupley and save at least two runs.
The Patriots took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to consecutive hits by Beau Stoppenhagen, Cam Rauner, and Roe, along with a walk to Linder and a two-run single to left by Lucas Taylor.
In the third, the Heritage offense erupted for seven runs to take a 10-3 lead. Roe led off against Cadet starter Winicker with a single, and Linder pushed him to second with a walk. Both advanced a base on a wild pitch, then scored on Landon Lybarger’s ground ball single to center. Walks to Taylor and Mason Abbott loaded the bases for Stoppenhagen, who drove a 2-1 pitch down the right field line to clear the bases. Stoppenhagen went to third on an errant pickoff throw and scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-3. Cam Rauner, who had walked, later scored on Roe’s second hit of the inning, a single over the shortstop, to cap the rally.
The Pats added a run in the sixth when Roe led off with a double and scored on Linder’s single to left.
In addition to notching the win on the mound, Roe went 4-for-4, scored three runs, and drove in a pair. He is leading the Patriots in batting average at .562, with 18 hits in 32 at-bats.
Stoppenhagen had three hits, scored twice, and drove in three runs. “He’s been a sparkplug for us since we moved him to leadoff,” said Lehrman.
The Patriots, 2-0 in the ACAC, face a tough schedule next week, including key conference matchups at home against Woodlan on Tuesday and at Adams Central on Thursday. They also travel to Blackhawk Christian on Monday and take on Bellmont at Parkview Field on Wednesday. They wrap up the week on Saturday by hosting the highly regarded Columbia City Eagles.
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