TERRE HAUTE —
Following the Terre Haute Rex game on Sunday, several dads and their children were among the 915 fans allowed to run the bases as a Father’s Day promotion.
Earlier in the day, the Rex circled the bases 13 times themselves for their largest run output of the season, overwhelming Butler 13-5 to salvage a split of their two-game weekend series in Prospect League baseball action at Bob Warn Field.
Through the middle of the third inning on Sunday, the weekend was not going well for the Rex — losing a tough 2-1 10-inning decision on Saturday, then falling quickly behind 4-0 on Sunday.
But back-to-back five-run rallies in the third and fourth innings turned the momentum drastically in the Rex’ favor.
Koby Kraemer paced the Rex offensive charge, going 3 for 5 with a single, double, home run, three runs scored and four RBI. He had a double, a home run and all four RBI in the third and fourth innings.
The only bad part of his day was his father, South coach Kyle Kraemer, didn’t get to witness his son’s first long ball this season for the Rex.
“I don’t really know what to say,” Kraemer smiled. “I got to see my dad for a little bit, then he had to leave at [gametime] today to go out of town. I’m sure he’s disappointed, but that’s probably the best Father’s Day gift you can give him. I was happy to do that.”
While Kraemer came up big with the bat, so did several other Rex players. John Loeffler, Chris Roglen and Derek Hannahs also contributed two-run singles in the third and fourth innings as well.
“Middle of the lineup was big today,” Rex manager Brian Dorsett said.
“We’ve been talking about timely hitting and we got that today. We’ve not been in double digits [scoring runs] all year,” Dorsett said. “After being down 4-0, to see the guys and the character they have to come back like that after getting beat in a tough loss last night, I think that was tremendous for us.”
“We got off to a little rough start there in the first couple of innings,” Kraemer agreed. “We didn’t panic, it’s a long game. Strung a couple hits together, got some runners on and got some timely hitting. Ended up finishing it out really well.”
Rex starter Kevin Upp was ineffective, being touched for a pair of singles and a long home run in the first two innings. He also issued a pair of walks, the second to lead off the third inning knocked him from the game.
Chris Nunn, a Rex starter as well, gave up three hits while getting just two outs in the third.
“[Upp’s] shoulder was bothering him, his velocity was down, just didn’t have it,” Dorsett said. “Had to get him out of there and make sure we take care of his health. Nunn’s pitching Wednesday night so we didn’t want to use him up.”
Matthew Kohorst finally slammed the door on the Blue Sox, quickly recording the third out in the third inning, allowing just one run in 4 1/3 innings. By the time he departed after the seventh inning, the Rex were comfortably ahead 12-4.
“Kohorst has just done a great job in two outings coming in in the middle of the game … just doing a wonderful job in that role,” Dorsett noted.
Brandon Dorsett pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, with one strikeout, in his first appearance for the Rex since coming of the disabled list with a lower arm injury — another Father’s Day gift.
Ronnie Mitchell, the Rex starting center fielder, pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close out the victory.
In the Rex third, a throwing error, a walk and hit batsman loaded the bases with one out. Loeffler lined an opposite-field single to left to plate two runs, Kraemer drove in a third with a double, then with two outs, Roglen singled in his pair to put the Rex ahead for keeps at 5-4.
In the Rex fourth, Joe Meggs — not the fleetest afoot runner — started this rally by reaching first with a two-out bunt single, then promptly stole second. Loeffler walked, Kraemer belted his long three-run dinger to left, before Hannahs finished off the inning with a two-run single.
“Joe [Meggs] will do anything that it takes to win,” Dorsett said. “Stole the big bag for us. Took a big hit in the elbow [third inning]. He wears the [elbow] pad, sits right on the dish and knows how to take one for the team. He does it really well. Just sparks innings.”
Meggs proved his versatility defensively too, starting the game in left field, moving to first base, before finishing up in center field.
Hannahs and Jordan Pearson added RBI-singles for insurance tallies in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
The Rex (8-8) close out a four-game homestand against the Hannibal Cavemen at 7:05 p.m. today.
Rex 13, Butler 5
Butler ab r h bi Rex ab r h bi
Vranka lf 2 2 1 0 Manning rf 5 2 1 0
Berezo 3b 4 1 1 0 Hayes ss-lf 4 1 0 0
Houck dh 4 0 3 2 Meggs lf-1b-cf 4 2 1 0
Radwan 2b 4 0 0 0 Loeffler 1b 3 2 2 2
Reese c 3 0 2 0 Pearson 2b 1 0 1 1
Danielczyk c 1 0 0 0 Kraemer 3b 5 3 3 4
Oswald ss 3 1 1 1 Teschner c 5 1 1 0
Crummy 1b 3 0 0 0 Loraine c 0 0 0 0
Juran 1b 1 0 0 0 Roglen dh 3 2 3 2
Basilone rf 3 0 0 0 Osnowitz 1b 1 0 0 0
Rasky rf 1 0 0 0 Hannahs 2b-ss 5 0 3 3
Siegel cf 3 1 1 0 RMitchell cf-p 4 0 0 0
Totals 32 5 9 3 Totals 40 13 15 12
Butler 211 000 100 — 5
Rex 005 502 10x — 13
E — Berezo, Basilone, Siegel, Teschner. DP — Rex 2. LOB — Butler 6, Rex 7. 2B — Berezo., Kraemer HR — Oswald (1), Kraemer (1). SB — Vranka 3, Siegel, Meggs. CS — Vranka, Berezo.
IP H R ER BB SO
Butler
MacLachlan (L, 0-2) 2 2-3 5 5 2 2 4
Connelly 1 1-3 5 5 5 1 1
Young 3 5 3 2 0 2
Sessa 1 0 0 0 0 1
Rex
Upp 2 3 4 4 2 1
Nunn 2-3 3 0 0 0 1
Kohorst (W, 2-0) 4 1-3 3 1 1 1 3
Dorsett 1 0 0 0 0 1
RMitchell 1 0 0 0 2 1
Upp pitched to one batter in 3rd.
HBP — by MacLachlan (Meggs).
T — 2:38. A — 915.
Next — Terre Haute Rex (7-8) hosts the Hannibal Cavemen at 7:05 p.m. today.
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