TERRE HAUTE —
It was a long but fruitful night for the playoff-bound Terre Haute Rex. The “playoff-bound” moniker became a reality for the Rex with a perfect storm of three events.
The Rex completed a win of a suspended game, then Prospect League West Division first-half winner Dubois County edged Quincy 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning, and it was capped off when the Rex toppled Springfield 15-5 in their regularly scheduled baseball game before 911 fans at Bob Warn Field on Wednesday.
As a result, the West Division second-half champion Rex will face Dubois County in the one-game Prospect League playoff semifinals at League Stadium in Huntingburg on Tuesday.
“Excited for the ballclub. This is what we've been working for,” Rex manager Brian Dorsett said. “It was our goal to win the second half [of the season].”
The Rex jumped ahead early and never trailed in their regularly scheduled game with Springfield.
In the first inning, Patrick Chandler walked, stole second, went to third on a ground out, then scored on a two-out single by Nick Johnson to put the Rex up quickly at 1-0.
The Rex followed up that single tally with a five-spot in the second. Five singles, a double steal, a wild pitch and consecutive two-run singles by Michael Schroeder and Brett Teschner ballooned the Rex lead to 6-0.
Chandler and Johnson teamed up again for a single tally in the fourth. Chandler walked, stole second, went to third on a ground out, but this time scored on a sacrifice fly by Johnson for a 7-0 lead.
Rex starter Nick Cunningham lasted just three innings, despite allowing no runs, two hits and walking four with two strikeouts. Rex relievers Grant Reifers, Clay Manering and Alex Sachs closed out the victory.
The first four Springfield batters reached safely (walk, two singles, double) off Reifers in the top of the fifth. Manering ended the rally, but the Sliders had cut the Rex lead to 7-4 by the midway point in the game.
The Sliders crept within 7-5 in the seventh off Manering. Ryan Aper had an RBI double, but it wasn’t a two-run double as a nice relay from Chandler to Edmund Cheatham to catcher Nate Bowles nailed a sliding Reagan Fowler at home plate to end the inning.
The Rex got that run back and then some in the bottom of the seventh after two outs.
Teschner singled, then pinch-runner Jacob Hayes stole second and went to third on a wild pitch, scoring on a double by Michael Eberle. Eberle later scored on a throwing error, before Nate Bowles followed with an RBI single for a 10-5 lead. The Rex added five insurance runs in the eighth inning off a beleaguered Sliders’ pitching staff.
“To clinch it early like we have does a lot for our ballclub in terms of setting up [pitching] arms, getting our bodies rested,” Dorsett noted. “We have a heckuva ballclub. Everyone can play. We'll be playing guys that haven't had a lot of at bats [the final five games]. This is a club that really wants to battle every night, loves to work extra. Couldn't be more proud of this ballclub.”
The Rex (19-7) will play their final road games of the season at Springfield today and Friday, then play three consecutive home games Saturday, Sunday and Monday to close out the regular season.
• Suspended game — The Rex held on to defeat Springfield 10-9 in the suspended game, despite a couple of anxious moments. Setting the stage, the Rex led 10-8 with two outs in the top of the ninth, the Sliders with runners at first and third.
Manering took the mound for the Rex when the game resumed, allowing a double on his first pitch to Aper. One run scored, the Rex right fielder overshot the cutoff man, but the potential tying run was held at third base. Reifers was summoned to face pinch-hitter Chase Hainline, striking him out swinging four pitches later to end the game.
The game was suspended on July 16 because of an illegal mound visit and pitching change the Rex made in the ninth inning. Springfield protested the game and the protest was upheld by the Prospect League.
Moments after the suspended game, Springfield manager Pete Romero protested the regularly scheduled game because it didn’t start in a timely manner.
This protest was taken under advisement by Prospect League commissioner David Chase, who was at the game. That protest was later dropped by Springfield.
Terre Haute Rex
Rex defeat Springfield twice, clinch spot in playoffs
- Terre Haute Rex
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
The Terre Haute Rex went through plenty of trials and tribulations during the summer of 2012.
The team got off to a sluggish start to settle for third place during the first half of the Prospect League race, but manager Brian Dorsett rallied the troops to a second-half title. -
Metro Roundup: Dorsett, Rex players honored in Prospect League postseason awards
Terre Haute Rex closer Nick Blount won one award and shared another and Brian Dorsett shared Manager of the Year honors as the Prospect League announced postseason awards Saturday.
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Rex out of playoffs
Successful playoff baseball = clean baseball.
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Rex mix, match their way to win
The Terre Haute Rex clinched a playoff spot last Thursday … but there were still four games to be played.
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Rex turn eye to Prospect playoffs
Fans attending this evening’s Terre Haute Rex game should expect some handouts, some surprises — and probably better start by the home team than the Rex could provide Saturday night.
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Rex drop road game to Sliders 7-1
One night after a dramatic come-from-behind victory, the Terre Haute Rex went down meekly to the Springfield Sliders 7-1 in Prospect League baseball Friday night.
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Rex defeat Springfield twice, clinch spot in playoffs
It was a long but fruitful night for the playoff-bound Terre Haute Rex.
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Playoff march continues: Rex creep closer to postseason with victory over Dans
Hire the band, make the floats, and rent out a street.
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Rex split, retain 3 1⁄2-game advantage in West Division
A five-run ninth-inning rally fell far short for the Terre Haute Rex on Sunday night in Prospect League baseball.
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No no-hitter, but Rex triumphs
Kyle Zimmerman took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, lost his control and the lead, but the Terre Haute Rex offense had an immediate answer Friday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Travel baseball teams enjoy busy summer
So in the past two or three years, the increase in local travel baseball options has been led by three groups, Indiana (formerly Terre Haute) Havoc, Riley Recreation League and Junior Rex.
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First-place Rex top rival Bombers
If you haven’t been to a Terre Haute Rex game yet this season, tonight might be the time to go.
The Rex have a second straight home game against the Dubois County Bombers, a potential Prospect League West Division playoff preview — and a battle between maybe the division’s two biggest rivals. -
Rex top Cavemen, raise record to 14-6
The first-place Terre Haute Rex picked up a 6-4 victory Wednesday at Hannibal, Mo., against the Cavemen.
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Rex win first game of Saturday doubleheader
Terre Haute maintained its stronghold on first place in the Prospect League West Division on Saturday, the Rex defeating Dubois County 6-1 in the first game of a doubleheader.
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Strunc fans 10, Rex win 12-10
Power pitching and power hitting kept a season-high crowd of 1,732 Rex fans on the edge of their seats Friday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Starting role suits Cunningham as Rex win
Nick Cunningham took the mound Thursday in his relatively new role as starting pitcher looking to give the Terre Haute Rex some breathing room atop the Prospect League West Division standings.
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Rex fall at Danville, maintain two-game division lead
The Terre Haute Rex lost 7-4 on Wednesday at Danville, falling to 9-4 in the second half of the Prospect League schedule.
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High drama, but no win
Pinch-hitter Michael Eberle provided patient Terre Haute Rex fans with plenty of excitement by belting a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the score against the Springfield Sliders at 9-9.
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Rex cool off against Springfield
It was a game Terre Haute probably didn’t deserve to win, and, despite an outstanding bullpen effort and focused hitting in the last few innings, the Rex did lose Monday for the first time since July 4 at Quincy.
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Rex roll to lead in division
A constant theme repeated by Terre Haute Rex manager Brian Dorsett is how his summer-league collegians adjust to the everyday schedule, rather than the four or five-game slates they’re used to.
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Rex bounce back, dominate Dans
Terre Haute reaped the bounty of three Danville errors in the second inning. The Rex made the Dans pay for each of their errors with eight base hits in the inning and Terre Haute never looked back on its way to an 11-4 victory in front of sweltering crowd of 669.
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Rex open second half with victory at Quincy
The Terre Haute Rex opened the second half of the Prospect League season with a 8-7 victory Tuesday night at Quincy Stadium.
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Head coach could be next stop for Prettyman
Credited in part to some unforgettable memories at Cal State Fullerton, where Ronnie Prettyman scored the winning run in the 2004 College World Series, the Indiana State and Terre Haute Rex assistant coach wants to pursue a future in college coaching.
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Cunningham, McCurdy pace Rex to win over league leader
What was essentially a meaningless baseball game as far as the standings were concerned couldn’t have gone much better for the Terre Haute Rex on Saturday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Rex score 4 before getting first hit, then hang on for win
With temperatures over 100 degrees Friday, affairs at Bob Warn Field took a walk on the wild side.
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Rex duo working overtime
It’s obviously a bonus to recruit a college baseball player that can pitch once a week and take the field and bat in the middle of the batting order the rest of the time.
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Rex fall 7-1 to Hannibal
The Terre Haute Rex lost 7-1 on Thursday, falling behind 4-0 after the first inning at Bob Warn Field.
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Rex have winning streak snapped
The season-long five-game winning streak of the Terre Haute Rex came to an end Wednesday night at Dubois County.
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Rex move within four games of first-place Dubois County
The Terre Haute Rex moved within four games of the first-place Dubois County Bombers, scoring the first 11 runs in a 12-6 shellacking at Bob Warn Field on Tuesday.
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Rex take third straight, move to 12-11 overall
Wildness cost the Terre Haute Rex a precarious lead in the fifth inning, but thankfully for the home team Quincy returned the favor in the bottom of the ninth inning.
- More Terre Haute Rex Headlines
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