Oilmen Drop Home Opener to Lexington Whiting, Ind. – June 5, 2013 – Lexington starter Jacob Hendron tossed seven solid innings as the visiting Snipes came away with a 5-3 victory over the Northwest Indiana Oilmen in the home opener at Oil City Stadium. Hendron surrendered just one run, did not walk a batter, allowed six hits and struck out nine on his way to the win in his Midwest Collegiate League debut.
The Snipes touched Oilmen starter Josh Negele for four runs in four innings en route to the triumph over Northwest Indiana (1-2, 0-1 MCL). Negele is back for his second season with the Oilmen after leading the league in ERA a year ago.
“He was a little tender tonight, and usually when that happens your mechanics change a little bit, so he was kind of falling off more than he usually does,” Oilmen manager Justin Huisman said. “He wasn’t quite himself, but he’ll have to take a little time off and come back and see what happens.”
Joe Cochran came on for three scoreless innings of relief to keep the Oilmen in the game. Northwest Indiana pushed across its first run in the bottom of the sixth as Jack Czeszewski legged out an infield single, plating Rashawn Tillman and trimming the Snipes’ lead to 5-1.
The Oilmen struck for two more in the eighth to make it a one-run game. The final Lexington tally came in the top of the ninth to balloon the lead to two.
Tyler Baar reached on an error to start the bottom of the ninth, but he was stranded at third base when Kenny Mahala hit a deep fly ball to the warning track in left.
“With the direction of the wind and everything, no, not right away, but I was hoping,” Huisman said when asked whether or not he thought Mahala’s fly ball was gone. “It was a short porch out there, so I was hoping it would get over.”
Joe Houlihan singled and doubled to account for two of the seven Oilmen hits.
The Oilmen continue a three game homestand on Thursday night as they welcome the Southland Vikings at 7:10 p.m. The game will air live on nwioilmen.com and AM 1230 WJOB beginning at 7 p.m. |