TERRE HAUTE —
The Terre Haute Rex struggled out of the gates to a 2-7 record, but Tuesday night’s 7-1 victory against the Springfield Sliders was the type of all-around performance manager Brian Dorsett has been expecting.
Highlight-reel defensive plays by center fielder Ronnie Mitchell, a pair of home runs among the season-high 14 hits and steady execution from starting pitcher Daniel Heefner were among the many strong points.
“It’s always nice to have a full-course meal,” Dorsett said. “Hitting is contagious. These guys have been coming out the last two days a lot early. Everyone’s getting early work; it’s paying off. I’m just happy to see it come together like it did tonight.”
Catcher Chace Mitchell hit his second home run in the past three games, making him 4 for 10 during that stretch with four RBIs. His line drive down the left-field line cleared the fence and grazed the Buffalo Wild Wings “fowl pole,” meaning all 828 fans in attendance could redeem their ticket for six free wings Tuesday night.
Mitchell got a fastball up and in and turned on it, scoring Koby Kraemer on the play. The homer off Nick Musec in the seventh inning put him into a tie for first in the Prospect League.
“I think he had me three [balls] and one [strike], I was sitting dead fastball. Anything he gave me middle-in, I was going to try and hit as far as I could,” Mitchell said. “My swing really doesn’t feel that great. As long as I’m putting the ball in play, getting knocks, that’s all I can do.”
Chris Manning continued his hot hitting, raising his average to .488 with a home run and a single. Manning batted in the clean-up spot for the first time this season.
Terre Haute native and Indiana State standout Koby Kraemer batted fifth and belted two singles, showing signs of fighting his way out of an early-season slump.
“It takes a little while everyone coming from metal bats to wood bats. I think we’re starting to play a lot better as a team,” Kraemer said.
Kraemer was happy to see the Rex put on a show defensively.
Center Fielder Ronnie Mitchell ranged far to his left, diving to take extra bases away from Joe Pudio in the third inning.
“He covers a lot of ground out there,” Kraemer said. “Just pretty solid all-around [defensively]. We’ve got great starting pitching, if we can do that we’re going to win a lot of games.”
Mitchell also gunned down a baserunner after an errant throw on a steal attempt squirted to the outfield.
“Ronnie made two really nice plays, which is good because he wants to hit so bad,” Dorsett said. “Those are momentum killers. Really happy with the whole effort tonight.”
Starting pitcher Daniel Heefner (1-0) scattered six hits through an efficient eight innings. He threw just 90 pitches.
“He’s a fastball, change-up guy. They had a lot of lefties so that change-up was working really well,” Chace Mitchell said.
Shortstop Jacob Hayes, a freshman for Ohio State who was a teammate of Kraemer’s at Terre Haute South, went 3 for 4, collecting all three hits against Springfield starter Bryce Sablotny.
Hayes struck out six times in his first three games, but he found his stroke against the Sliders.
“Lately I’ve been trying to pull everything,” Hayes said. “I worked with [assistant coach] Darin Barton before the game on keeping my front shoulder in, trying to go the other way.”
Hayes started the Rex offensive onslaught with a line drive to right field. He later added a hit through the left side of the infield with two strikes.
“The third hit, the one to the left-side, I heard coach Dorsett say ‘he’s going to call it out there,’” Hayes said. “I just went with it. I’ll just keep working on what I did today.”
Rex 7, Sliders 1
Springfield ab r h bi TH ab r h bi
Harding 2b 4 0 2 0 Hayes ss-lf 4 0 3 1
Tellor 1b 4 0 0 0 R.Mitchell cf 3 0 0 1
Coffman dh 4 0 2 0 Meggs lf-rf 5 0 2 0
Shay c 4 0 1 0 Manning rf 4 2 2 1
Abt rf 4 0 0 0 Pearson ss 1 0 0 0
McMillin 3b 4 1 1 1 Kraemer 3b 4 1 2 0
Pudio cf 3 0 0 0 Fagg 3b 1 0 0 0
McKewon lf 3 0 1 0 Roglen dh 3 1 0 0
Howard ss 3 0 0 0 Loeffler 1b 4 2 2 0
Howard ss 3 0 0 0 C.Mitchell c 4 1 3 2
Hannahs 2b 3 0 1 1
Totals 36 1 7 1 Totals 36 6 15 6
Springfield 000 010 000 — 1
Terre Haute 000 013 30x — 7
E — Hayes, Hannahs. DP — S 1, TH 0. LOB — S 5, TH 10. 2B — C.Mitchell (1). HR — C.Mitchell (2), Manning (1), McMillin (1). SB — Hayes (1), Manning (2), Kraemer (5). CS — B.Harding, C.Mitchell. SF — Hannahs (1).
IP H R ER BB SO
Springfield
Sablotny (L) 5 2/3 10 4 4 1 2
Hunsacker 1/3 0 0 0 1 0 Musec 1 4 3 3 0 3
Koenigstein 1 1 0 0 0 0
Terre Haute
Heefner (W, 1-0) 8 6 1 1 0 5
Vestring 1 1 0 0 0 2
HBP — by Hunsacker (R.Mitchell). A — 828.
Next — Terre Haute (4-7) plays host to Hannibal tonight.
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