By Steve Krah
PBR Indiana Correspondent

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ELKHART — John Gumpf has a “midnight rule” he uses as head baseball coach at South Bend St. Joseph High School. 

It has nothing to do with Friday’s prom, it’s what Gumpf wants his Indians to do after every game. 

He doesn’t want his team dwelling too much of victories (St. Joe had eight of those to open the 2016 season) or losses (the Indians suffered their first setback as Bremen freshman right-hander Nathan Mullen beat them 1-0 Wednesday in Northern Indiana Conference play). 

“Whether it’s a win or a loss, the next day you’ve got to come ready to play,” Gumpf said after a 5-4 NIC triumph at Elkhart Central. “We did that and we got out of here with a W. That’s the bottom line.” 

St. Joseph (10-1, 6-1) scored what proved the decisive run as part of a three-run fourth inning, making a winner in relief of junior right-hander Andrew Migas (2-0; 2 innings, 2 runs, 4 hits, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk).

The Indians scored three runs in the fourth inning off losing pitcher Ross Kirkton to a take a 5-2 lead. 

After two outs, No. 9 hitter and sophomore Andrew Washburn smacked an RBI single to left to knock in senior Riley Stesiak (who walked) with the go-ahead run. 

After another walk, senior Carlos Matovina clubbed a two-run single to center, plating senior Joe Staud (on by walk) and Washburn. 

“I preach two-hit hitting an two-out hitting wins ball games and that proves it right there,” Gumpf said. “We’ve still got to do a better job and get on them earlier and get something going.” 

Hard-throwing sophomore left-hander Michael Dunkelberger (2 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts, 0 walks) retired six of the seven batters he faced for the save. 

Elkhart Central (4-7, 2-6) left runners on base in the first six innings. Dunkelberger nailed down the win for St. Joe with a 1-2-3 seventh (strikeout, groundout, strikeout). 

“(Dunkelberger) hasn’t got a start yet,” Gumpf said. “He’s been coming out of the pen and doing exactly that. When we need someone to come in a shut them down, he’s been able to do it. He’s going to earn himself a starting spot if he keeps throwing like that.” 

Indians junior left-hander Brian Gursky (3 innings, 2 runs, 2 hits, 3 strikeouts, 4 walks) started and was not involved in the decision. 

Blue Blazers right-handers — junior Kirkton (2-1; 5 innings, 5 runs, 7 hits, 2 strikeouts, 3 walks) and freshman Brycen Sherwood (2 innings, o runs, 1 hit, 1 strikeout, 0 walks) — retired the first batter in every inning except the fifth. 

St. Joseph stranded runners in five of the first six frames. 

The Indians scored two unearned runs in the first inning. 

A two-out single to right by junior Tyler Kleva on a full-count pitch plated Matovina and junior Tony Carmola. Both runners reached base by error. 

Central got two runs back in the bottom of the first inning. 

With two outs, Sherwood stroked a 3-2 pitch for an RBI single to center to score junior Hunter Sauserman (on base by walk). 

Sherwood stole second base and went to third on an error. He scored the tying run on a wild pitch. 

The game featured a number of defensive gems. 

Blazers junior center fielder Andrew Salmon made a running catch in the left-center gap to rob Staud of extras bases in the second inning. He also ran down a fly by Carmola to close out the top of the fourth inning. 

Sherwood, who started at shortstop for the Blazers, made a diving stop to his left and shoveled to second baseman Sauserman for a force-out in the fifth inning. 

Central freshman third baseman Jared Miller picked up a slow roller and threw out senior Jake Kelley in the seventh inning. 

Indians senior shortstop Danny Torres took a hit away from Jared Reid with a diving catch near the second base bag in the second inning. 

Central threatened in the third inning. The Blazers got the first two batters — Sauserman and Salmon — on base by walk. 

But St. Joseph got out of the fix by turning a double play — second baseman Carmola to shortstop Torres to senior first baseman Connor Gentry — followed by a charging catch and throw by third baseman Stesiak and scoop by Gentry at first to retire sophomore Jackson Wiltfong. 

The Blazers scored one run in the fourth inning and cut the gap to 5-3.  

With Migas on in relief of Gursky for St. Joe, Kirkton led off with a single to left and later scored on a single to right by No. 9 hitter and senior Lorenzo Camacho. 

St. Joseph loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning, but did not score. After surrendering three singles (Gentry, Stesiak, Staud), Kirkton got a strikeout to squelch the rally. 

Blazers tallied one run in the bottom of the fifth inning to pulled to within 5-4. 

Kirkton lashed an RBI single to left to drive in Sauserman (on by lead-off walk). 

Central was coming off a tough 4-3 loss at Glenn, where the Falcons won the bottom of the seventh inning. 

 

“It’s good to get back on the horse again,” Blazers coach Steve Stutsman said. “I was a little worried the kids would bring it back out on the field and they didn’t. 

“I don’t like losing, but if you can say there’s a good loss, this was a good loss (against St. Joe). I thought we played well.” 

“We played toe-to-toe with them. We were competitive and that’s all you can ask.” 

Northridge plays an 11 a.m. doubleheader at Central Saturday, April 30. Marian visits St. Joe Monday, at 5 p.m. Monday, May 2.