Greenwood third baseman Kyle Mitchell, left, makes the tag on Indian Creek’s Nick Winters as he tried to turn a double into a triple during Monday’s game.
Chris Williams | For the Daily Journal
Nonconference baseball games tend to be different animals than those placing league rivals on the same diamond.
Victories remain the objective, but oftentimes there are wins within the win. In some respects, even the squad on the losing end benefits.
Such a matchup took place Monday at Indian Creek, as the host Braves rallied late for a 6-4 victory over longtime county nemesis Greenwood.
Call it a tune-up of sorts, as Indian Creek plays Western Indiana Conference foes Tuesday and Wednesday; the Woodmen, members of the Mid-State Conference, conduct their annual home-and-home against Perry Meridian on the same days.
“They are very different,” second-year Indian Creek coach Greg Taylor said. “We’ve got conference games tomorrow and Wednesday, and I know Greenwood does as well. We save some of our pitching in order for conference games, so we threw a freshman tonight.
“Nick (Winters) did a really nice job. He got ahead on the count, and you put your experienced guys in the field, and when you throw strikes, good things happen. I’m glad that we overcame adversity because we did make some errors tonight, and we overcame those.”
The back-and-forth affair had Greenwood ahead, 4-3, going into the bottom of the fifth inning. Indian Creek responded with Winters, the team’s No. 9 hitter, singling to right field, followed by senior leadoff hitter Bryce Turner clearing the fence in center for a two-run home run.
Not counting a 9-0 loss to Class 4A No. 1 Center Grove in a county tournament semifinal, the Braves (6-1) have outscored the opposition this season by a total of 73-11.
“For me, conference is where we put most of our time and effort,” Taylor said. “But whenever you’re playing Greenwood, Franklin or Center Grove, you want to go out and put your best foot forward.”
Indian Creek scored the game’s first two runs in the bottom of the second, which began with senior cleanup hitter Carter Modlin being hit by a pitch. Junior Nolan Harden singled to right field, moving Modlin to third base. Harden stole second to put two runners in scoring position, and Modlin scored when Bryce Harmon hit into a fielder’s choice.
Harden touched home plate on a wild pitch from Greenwood senior starting pitcher Brendan Bailey.
The Woodmen (4-6) countered with three runs in their half of the fourth, a surge started when the team’s No. 3 hitter, sophomore Eli Mason, walked. Senior Cooper Smith delivered a one-out double, and Kyle Mitchell reached first on a error that scored both runners. Greenwood eventually grabbed a 3-2 lead when Mitchell scored on a wild pitch.
The Braves knotted the score in the bottom of the frame after Bailey walked the first two batters and the Woodmen erred in the field. Greenwood’s final advantage was a product of a fifth-inning run by junior Mavrick Pauley, who led off with a walk and eventually scored on a throwing error after the Braves had him in a rundown between second and third.
Winters gave way to Turner, who pitched two innings for Indian Creek, and Harden, who recorded the final three outs on the hill.
Some might be surprised by Indian Creek’s fast start this season, but not Modlin, the Braves’ center fielder.
“I’m going to be honest, I’m not surprised at all,” Modlin said. “We’ve got a lot of good baseball players who could all play at the next level if they wanted to. And they all just understand the game of baseball, and give it their all.”
