Bowen Ks 13 in shutout of T-Town

VANDALIA – Collin Nestleroad and Carson Smith provided the big hits.

Jake Bowen pretty much provided the rest.

Bowen struck out 13 Teutopolis batters on Sunday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader, and Nestleroad had a two-run single and Smith a three-run double as Vandalia blanked T-Town, 5-0, in Jr. Legion action.

“He was in the zone,” said coach Jacob Riedle of Bowen’s outing. “The first two batters of the game struck out, and he didn’t let up from there.

“The 13 strikeouts? I was not expecting that,” he said. “He stepped up, and made the most of this start.”

Bowen mixed speeds and located his pitches well throughout the entire game, tossing all seven innings and allowing just four hits and two runners to reach second base, as his defense played a solid game behind him, making all but one play in its limited chances.

He struck out at least one batter in every inning, and struck out the side in the fifth. The bottom third of T-Town’s order struck out in seven of its nine plate appearances.

“After I went through the lineup one time, I started getting more confidence, because I saw our defense was behind me and we had some runs,” Bowen said. “After that, I could just go out there and throw it, and not worry about anything.”

Nestleroad roped a single to right in the bottom of the third inning, bringing home Derek Childress and Bowen to give Post 95 a 2-0 lead.

Smith then added a double over the head of Teutopolis’ left fielder in the fourth, clearing the bases and reaching third himself on the throw from the outfield. He was 2-for-3 in the game, and continues to be Vandalia’s most dangerous hitter in the lineup.

“That’s a younger team, but T-Town is always fundamentally sound, so you have to jump on every situation you get,” Riedle said. “Getting those extra runs took a lot of pressure off of Bowen.”

Bowen had seven of his strikeouts after he was given a lead, and was never rattled by any of the three hits that came in the final four innings.

Both times a runner reached second base, there were two outs and Bowen punched out the next batter, and he said that the big hits helped him to do so.

“Those were perfectly timed hits,” Bowen said. “They gave me run support, and that gave me more confidence on the mound.”

More important than the career-high in strikeouts, however, was Bowen establishing himself as a front-of-the-rotation option for the upcoming District Tournament.

Not only does Vandalia have confidence as a team after getting two wins against perennial powers Effingham and Teutopolis – by winning game two of the doubleheader, 7-6 – it also has a pitching staff that is built for a tournament.

“After this outing, the District Tournament is looking nicer and nicer,” Riedle said. “You know Zach Schaal will give us seven innings, Derek Childress is really stepping up and Jake Bowen just showed us what he can do.

“To win the District, you’ll probably have to win three games to win your side, and we are looking really good.”

That tournament starts next Thursday at Effingham.

Sunday, July 7
Vandalia 5
Teutopolis 0
T: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0—0-4-2
V: 0-0-2-3-0-0-X—5-5-1
WP: Bowen; 7 IP, 13 K
LP: Johnson; 5 IP, 6 K
Post 95: Smith, 2-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI; Nesterload, 1-for-3, 2 RBI; Childress, 1-for-4, 2 runs; Marcus Chausse, 1-for-3, 2 runs; Nate Ketchem, run, 2 BB; Bowen, run; Colin Ledbetter, BB; Matt Korte, HBP.
Record: 13-9 (4-3 D)