Vikes take baseball Buggy Bowl

Apr. 20—ELNORA — A classic rivalry deserved a classic game and that's what Barr-Reeve (9-2) and North Daviess (5-2) delivered on Friday night, for the first six innings. The game, under the lights, remained a tight 3-1 contest featuring excellent pitching and defense, however, B-R was able to explode for five runs in the top of the seventh to take the 8-1 win in the baseball version of the Buggy Bowl.

"The score was not indicative of the game. Come Memorial Day, if we meet again, it will be ace-on-ace. We threw Kendall Graber out there and I couldn't have been more proud of him, especially in a big game, like that" said B-R coach Trevor McConnell.

"We are a selfless group and it says a lot about the kids, because they play for the name on the front not the name on the back. We have had a tremendous week and we want to finish it of right."

ND coach Joe Wilson also believes the Cougars will have a stronger showing if the two Daviess County rivals meet again in late May.

"I was extremely excited with the way we started off and were battling toe-to-toe. Unfortunately, that score didn't show that with them putting five in the in the last inning, but for six innings it was very good baseball. So we've got to get stronger mentally, and Memorial Day is still a long way away so we've got a lot of growth still to make," said Wilson.

Although both North Daviess' Brock Knepp and B-R's Kendall Graber allowed one runner each in the first, both worked quickly to keep it 0-0.

The Cougs threatened in the bottom of the second, as Will Wagler, Keaton Graber and Cam Sassano all reached, but no one was able to cross the dish. Brock Knepp, normally a catcher, continued to roll in the third, keeping the ball on the ground during a 1-2-3 inning.

Knepp then helped his own case as he reached on a single, and found himself on third with two out and was able to score on a pass ball to make it 1-0.

B-R tied the game up in the top of the fourth as Levi Lester reached and scored on a Seth Wagler double, and Jake Pauw then scored on a fly ball to make it 2-1. Kendall Graber was dominant in the bottom of the fourth, getting all three batters on just four pitches. Cougar Tyler Stoll took over on the bump for Brock Knepp in the Viking half of the fifth and also looked solid allowing just one hit.

ND looked to tie it up on a Landon Swartzentruber double, but a great throw from outfielder Tyler Graber to second baseman Lester then gunned down Hayden Sample at the plate to keep it at 2-1 after five.

The Vikes added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, as Ethan Graber and Lester reached, followed by a single with eyes from Pauw that made it 3-1. Braydon Knepp took over for B-R and although ND put two runners on, Knepp was able two get a pair of Ks to extinguish the threat.

Barr-Reeve tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh, before a Seth Wagler double scored two more runs. The Vikes added a fifth run and pushed it to 8-1.

B-R got a lot of help from the middle of the order, as Seth Wagler, Pauw and Braydon Knepp drove in seven of the eight Viking runs. North Daviess is off on Saturday while B-R takes on Lincoln.