By Ben Grossberg
Indiana Scout

Greencastle – Garrett Phelps and the Crawfordsville Athenians started off the 2014 season with a dominating 8-0 win over the Greencastle Tiger Cubs. Phelps started his senior year with an impressive performance on the mound throwing six innings of no hit baseball and striking out 11. With Phelps throwing well on the mound the offense was able to score in four straight innings to open up the game.

Phelps started off a little rocky loading the bases in the first with two outs, but was able to escape any damage with a groundball to third. In the third an error and two walks loaded the bases again, but Phelps struck out the final batter of the inning to shut down any Greencastle rally. He capped off his opening night performance with four straight strikeouts. The sixth inning would be his final inning exiting with no hits allowed, three walks, and 11 strikeouts.

The offense provided Phelps all the support he would need. After going down in order in the first, Crawfordsville broke through for two runs in the second. Senior Shad Conrad got the offense going with an infield single and Freshman Caden Jones followed with a double two put runners on second and third with no outs. A passed ball brought in the first Crawfordsville run and Senior Nathan Baer drove in the next run on a groundout.

The Athenians would take on another run in the third and fourth. In the third Senior Nick Page used his speed to reach base with a drag bunt. He then followed that up by stealing second and third, before Junior Michael Minks brought him home with a RBI groundout. In the fourth Page brought in a run after getting hit with the bases loaded bringing in Baer, who had singled earlier in the inning. 

The fifth inning was when the Athenians were able to break open a close game. Jones got on base reaching on an error with one out. After another out, Baer drew a walk and Freshmen Trent Johnson followed with a two run double to the left field fence. Junior Sam Page traded places with Johnson on a RBI double of his own. Nick Page then followed with a RBI single to give Crawfordsville an 8-0 lead, He ended the day going 2-3 with two RBI and a run scored. 

In the bottom of the seventh sophomore Anthony Rossok got the lone Greencastle hit with a line drive single to right field.

Freshmen Trent Johnson and Caden Jones both ended their high school debuts going 2-4. Jones scored twice and Johnson drove in two and scored once. Sophomore Dane Baldwin also had two hit in the game,