Wildcats win high-scoring game 11-9 over South Central at US Steelyard
	A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 4-16-2012

It was not a defensive struggle as Hanover Central tied South Central 7-7 in the fifth inning at the US Steelyard in Gary (4-14-2012) Saturday. (All photos by Mark Smith)

SC pitcher Adam Clindaniel picks up this seventh inning sacrifice bunt and tries to throw out Tyler Scott Saturday. The throw went wild and HC took an 8-7 lead.

Nick Bollenbacher throws out South Central's Stephen Shepherd in the seventh inning Saturday at the US Steelyard. Senior Danny Nowak (8) waits for the throw.

Hanover pitcher Danny Balich, right and catcher Zac Maciejewski wait for coach Doug Nelson to talk about the seventh inning with Hanover leading 11-9.

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
HANOVER CENTRAL (3-6)	2	0	3	0	2	0	4	11	13	2
SOUTH CENTRAL (4-4)	2	2	3	0	0	0	2	9	6	2

Saturday, 4-14-2012  -  at US Steelyard in GARY, IN

WP - Danny Balich (1-0) 5Ks 2 walks (3 inn.)
LP - Adam Clindaniel (2-2) 3K 0 walks (2.7 inn.)

HANOVER (3-6)
Tyler Scott (LF) 0-for-5, RBI
Nic Bollenbacher (2B) 1-for-3, sac bunt, HBP
Danny Stum (SS) 4-for-5, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs
Danny Nowak (1B) 0-for-3, 2 walks, RBI
Jesse Wilkening (3B) 3-for-4, RBI
Tyler Trepton (RF) 0-for-3, HBP, walk, RBI
Riley Welch (LF) 2-for-4
Danny Balich (P) 2-for-4, 2 RBIs
Zac Maciejewski (C) 1-for-3, RBI

SOUTH CENTRAL (4-4)
Chance Roe - 1-for-3, 2 RBIs
Blake Geskey - 0-for-4
Garret Walter (P) 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs
Stephen Shepherd - 0-for-4
Adam Clindaniel - 1-for-3, walk, 2 RBIs
Ben Rosenbaum - 0-for-3, walk
JT Snyder - 1-for-2, Sac. Fly, RBI
Logan Lionbarger - 2-for-3, double, 2 RBIs
Austen Hanna - 1-for-3

GARY (4-14-2012) Hanover Central got their US Steelyard game with rival South Central in before the storm hit last weekend and it looks like HC may have survived 'the storm' in more ways than one.

Hanover tied a wide open offensive game with three consecutive hits in the fifth and won it with three consecutive bunts in the seventh, topping South Central 11-9 on a cloudy Saturday afternoon at the US Steel Yard pro baseball stadium on 5th St. in Gary.

The win, less than 24 hours after a 2-1 win over Hebron, gave Hanover (3-6, 2-0 Porter County Conference) the early lead in the race for first place inn the PCC. And it showed that Hanover can win games this year when they aren't matched up against schools four times their size.

HC lost four consecutive games in their second week of the season against Crown Point, Valparaiso, Lake Central and Portage by a combined score of 37-14. The Wildcats were no hit against LC and gave up 14 runs in five innings at Valparaiso.

Hanover has about 600 students while the four teams that stomped the Wildcats are all from schools with over 2,000 in enrollment. It was clearly time for the Hanover to pick on someone its own size.

"We made some plays behind our pitcher today," said third year coach Doug Nelson. "It doesn't matter who you're playing if you don't make plays. We've got freshmen stepping up for us. But playing those teams gives us confidence because I don't know if there's anything we're going to face that we haven't already seen."

"You see a 90 mile-an hour thrower against Lake Central and good hitters against teams like Portage. You can't throw the ball down the middle of the plate and get away with it. It (the experience) can only help."

Hanover broke a 7-7 tie in the seventh inning on a single by freshman pitcher Danny Balich. Zac Maciejewski, batting ninth because he arrived late after he had to stay at school to take an ACT test, then topped a little 'swinging bunt' down the third base line. South Central pitcher Adam Clindaniel picked up the ball and threw it wildly down the right field line, scoring Balich.

HC sophomore Tyler Scott then laid down a bunt and Clindaniel again picked it up and threw it over the head of the first baseman, scoring Maciejewski to make it 9-7. Nick Bollenbacher laid down a third bunt and SC handled it as Scott moved to third base.

Danny Stum's fourth hit of the game made it 10-7 before a stolen base and a ground out by Danny Nowak upped the lead to 11-7.

"They weren't very good bunts," said Nelson. "But they were having trouble with them so we were going to lay them down until they stopped us. The key there was getting the leadoff guy on base. We were at the top of the order. We expected good things."

"We've been changing the order trying to find out who our best nine are. It worked out yesterday and it worked out today so we're going to go with it."

Hanover got a little better defensively, committing just one error. The Cats played their second errorless game of the season against Hebron, the day before. The other was the season opener eight games ago.

"I've been trying to explain to the boys the big picture," said Nelson. "There's reasons why we do things and they will pay off down the road."

CAT NOTES: Hanover topped Hebron Friday when Danny Stum (2-2) held the Hawks to four hits in a 2-1 win. Danny Nowak and Danny Balich drove in the runs and Stum, who also had two hits, pitched all seven innings as did Hebron losing pitcher Damon Wallace.

Hanover Central has a tough schedule with trips to Boone Grove and Calumet and then back-to-back road trips to LaCrosse Friday and Beecher, Ill. Saturday.

Hanover Central started three freshmen Saturday in Riley Welch, Jesse Wilkening and Danny Balich. Balich had just moved up from the junior varsity before the Hebron game and Saturday's three innings against South Central were his varsity pitching debut.

"Danny throws hard," said coach Doug Nelson." Moves the ball. Throws strikes. He's played a lot of travel ball. He's had the ball in his hands a long time. He's hit the weight room and worked hard there so he deserves to have some success."

Mike Balich batted .366 (26 of 71) for Hanover last season as the Cats reached the 2A state finals.

"Our JV's been winning by 20 runs a game so I had to say, 'why don't you guys come up here with me and see how you do.' He doesn't show emotion. He's like his brother Michael (2011 graduate Mike Balich). They're good players."

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Revised: April 19, 2012.