PREP BASEBALL: Catalyst Rapp helps first-place RedHawks top Raiders

GOSHEN — Colton Rapp helped Goshen to another baseball victory with his bat and his glove.

The RedHawk senior reached base in all four plate appearances, collected two doubles and a single and scored three times as Goshen bested Northridge 12-6 on Wednesday, May 6 in Northern Lakes Conference play at the Goshen Baseball-Softball Complex.

A three-year starter at catcher, Rapp caught starter Bray Hoag and reliever Jensen Meikle and threw out a would-be base stealer.

“He is incredibly valuable,” said RedHawks head coach JJ DuBois of Rapp. “He’s the catalyst of our emotions.

“When he’s positive and upbeat, our team follows suit. When he’s not, we sink down. It’s important for him to respond well when things aren’t going well. He did a great job tonight.”

Right-hander Hoag pitched four innings and had one strikeout, three walks and gave up four runs and seven hits. He delivered 47 of 91 pitches for strikes.

Righty Meikle tossed three innings with three strikeouts, two walks, two runs and four hits allowed. Of his 55 pitches, 28 were strikes.

“He threw well,” said DuBois of Meikle. “That’s the most he’s gone all year.

“It was good to see him still be effective.”

Goshen got down 3-0 before coming back on the Raiders.

“I knew I had to pick it up,” said Rapp, who was in the No. 5 spot in the batting order. “On the bases, I was applying pressure and making (Northridge) make plays.

“If we stay aggressive on the base paths, it’s definitely going to take us a long way.

The RedHawks wound up with 11 hits and stole seven bases — three for sophomore Manny Pizana, two for senior Bryson Wilson and once each for Rapp and sophomore Spencer Elliott.

Wilson and sophomore Jaxon Miller scored two runs apiece. Miller and Meikle drove in two runs each as NLC front-runner Goshen improved to 11-4 overall and 7-1 in the conference. Northridge fell to 6-10 and 2-6.

The Raiders used four pitchers — left-hander Mason Zimmerman and right-handers Caleb Irwin, Sam Canfield and Ethan Yoder.

Senior Zimmerman allowed 10 runs and junior Canfield two. Zimmerman fanned three with Canfield and senior Yoder striking out one each. Zimmerman had 40 strikes in 75 pitches while junior Irwin finished with 6-of-7, Canfield 18-of-37 and Yoder 9-of-19.

Junior No. 2 hitter Aveary Johnson and sophomore No. 2 batter Quinn Knepp produced three hits each while junior No. 4 Hayden Gorball had two.

“Quinn is seeing the ball real well right now,” said Northridge coach Chad Gerard. “He hit the ball hard.

“He’s a kid we’ve got a lot of confidence in when he’s at the plate.”

Gerard came away impressed with the RedHawks.

“They’re good all the way around,” Gerard said. “They can pitch. They can hit. They can run.

“They’re tough to beat.”