EFFINGHAM — First start. Best start.
Teutopolis senior pitcher Gavin Addis threw a gem for the Wooden Shoes baseball team in its 7-1 victory over Effingham on Monday afternoon at Evergreen Hollow Park. T-Town, ranked in the top-5 in many different state-wide baseball media outlets, has several arms to choose from in its pitching rotation this year.
Addis was the one to get the nod against the Flaming Hearts, a team T-Town could very well see in the postseason, after EHS dropped down from Class 3A to Class 2A this year.
“He’s a veteran pitcher,” head coach Justin Fleener said. “He knows what he needs to be able to do to get guys out and he mixes up his pitches well and can locate.”
Addis allowed one hit and two walks to 10 strikeouts over five innings. He threw 78 pitches, 53 for strikes.
Addis was sitting in the mid-80s with his pitches for most of the game, but did top one of them at 90 miles per hour.
“The command is what you look for,” Fleener said. “The velocity is nice to have. He was very efficient on the mound and was able to get through.”
The team gave Addis more than enough run support.
That started early with the Shoes putting three runs on the scoreboard in the first inning.
T-Town senior Davin Worman led off the game with an infield single.
Worman advanced into scoring position after junior Aidan Niemerg laid down a bunt.
Shoes senior Jason Kreke reached base after an error by the EHS third baseman. Worman held up at second on the miscue.
T-Town senior and Lindenwood baseball recruit Austin Borries followed that with a base hit, scoring Worman and pushing Michael Habing, who courtesy ran for Kreke, to third.
Habing and Borries both scored after junior Nolan Schumacher reached on an error.
Shoes junior Caleb Deters then grounded out to short. Addis drew a walk and Teagan Pals struck out swinging to end the frame.
“Run support early always give the pitcher some relief and especially if he can come out and have a shut-down inning that first inning,” Fleener said. “That allows someone to build that momentum, that confidence.”
Addis got sophomore Westin Hayes to ground out to second to start the bottom of the first.
Hearts senior Andrew Wagoner then hit a single to left. Junior Jude Traub then reached on an error by the T-Town shortstop.
EHS junior Carter Braddy and senior Brayden Tucker then struck out to end the threat.
T-Town junior Andy Lustig started the second with a leadoff walk.
Worman then grounded out to second, pushing Lustig into scoring position.
Niemerg drew a walk to put runners on first and second with one out.
Both runners moved over after Kreke grounded into a fielder’s choice.
Borries then struck out swinging, ending the inning.
Addis got off to a good start in the bottom of the second, striking out seniors Brody Boehm and Max Flack.
Hearts senior Wyatt Hayes then drew a walk before sophomore James Wendt drew one himself.
Addis worked around the two mistakes by retiring Westin Hayes on a groundout to first.
Braddy worked a scoreless top of the third after getting Schumacher, Deters and Addis to all ground out.
Addis then did the same in the bottom of the third. He struck out Wagoner and Traub and then got Braddy to fly out to left.
The Shoes scored once in the fourth.
Pals struck out to start the inning. Lustig then drew a walk and later stole second base. He scored after an error by the Hearts third baseman, while Worman advanced to third on the same error.
Niemerg then struck out and Kreke flew out to retire the side.
Addis worked a clean bottom of the fourth after getting Tucker and Flack to strike out and Boehm to fly out.
T-Town put two runners on in the fifth: Schumacher on a walk and Deters on a single.
Addis struck out and Pals popped out to short to retire the side.
Westin Hayes reached on an error in the bottom of the fifth for EHS.
Addis then struck out Wagoner on three pitches to end the frame, and his outing.
The Shoes scored twice in the top of the sixth. The Hearts scored in the bottom of the seventh.
“It was a good win,” Fleener said. “Coach (Curran McNeely) has some good arms, so it was good to come out in the first inning and put three runs on the board.”
Borries had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored for T-Town (7-1). Worman had one hit and one run scored. Schumacher had one hit and four RBI. Deters had one hit. Niemerg and Habing each had one run scored and Lustig had two runs scored.
Worman followed Addis and allowed one hit, one run and three walks to three strikeouts in two innings.
Wagoner and Braddy each had one hit for EHS (6-3). Flack had one run scored.
Braddy started and allowed three hits, four runs (one earned) and five walks to five strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.
“I thought he threw well, but didn’t get a fair shake,” said McNeely, the EHS head coach, of Braddy. “Waks and errors — they always kill you.”
Barron Coffman and Flack followed Braddy. Coffman allowed one hit, three unearned runs and one walk in one inning; Flack allowed one hit and one walk in 1 1/3 innings.