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Vandals Insider: Inexperience shows

VANDALIA – Despite getting a win last Friday in the season-opener, the Vandals showed their inexperience in the 16-11 victory against Ramsey.

With just a handful of players with significant playing time at the varsity level, Vandalia coach Luke Hohlt knew coming into the year that there would be come learning curves for his squad.

“Some decisions, we will have to learn through,” Hohlt said. “The guys will make some bad decisions, but they will have to learn from them, instead of trying fix them immediately.

“That’s a process,” he said. “Today was some of our guys’ first varsity game ever.”

The Vandals committed four errors against the Rams, and the pitching allowed seven walks and hit three batters.

And while Hohlt said that it’s probably not the last time his pitching staff will allow 10 runs in a game, he said he didn’t lose any confidence in the three pitchers who tossed innings against Ramsey.

“If we throw strikes, we’ll tip our caps to a team who beats us,” Hohlt said. “We gave 10 free passes today, and that’s way too many to give anyone.”

At the St. Anthony round-robin the following day, Vandal pitching was greatly improved, allowing 11 of those free passes over two games, both losses.

The battle

Despite being a Class 1A school, Ramsey tested Vandalia’s desire last Friday.

After opening up a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, the Vandals saw that lead cut down to three runs by the bottom of the fourth.

“You always want to win, and I was proud that we battled to win that ballgame,” Hohlt said. “We could have laid down at any moment, but our guys met one of our hitting goals by battling back.”

Vandalia scored four times in the fourth to fend off Ramsey’s comeback attempt.

Chatterboxes

The amount of chatter coming from the Vandalia dugout in the first inning against Ramsey was impressive.

That hasn’t always been the case with the Vandals, but Hohlt said there is something about the group that is different than in year’s past.

“I don’t think it’s one individual,” Hohlt said. “I think there are so many guys who are happy to be out here, so I think it’s a group effort in the dugout.

“We’ll need guys to be wearing their heart on their sleeve for their team, because everyone isn’t going to play every day,” he said. “If you make yourself worthy on the bench, we coaches will notice.”

Quiet star

Junior Colin Ledbetter quietly put together a strong game against the Rams, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances and scoring three times.

He was hit by a pitch in the first, doubled in the third, walked in the fourth and reached on an error in the fifth.

Round robin

The Vandals dropped two games on Saturday at the St. Anthony Round Robin in Effingham.

In the first game against Cumberland, an 8-5 loss, senior Leyton Godoyo swatted three singles and stole two bases, but the Pirates scored two runs in the fourth to break a 3-3 tie and added three more in the sixth to secure the win.

Senior Dalton Wehrle had a double and two RBI for the Vandals, and sophomore Jake Bowen took the loss after striking out five in five innings, but allowing five runs (one earned).

In the second game against St. Anthony, the Vandals took a 7-1 loss as they were overpowered by Bulldog pitching.

Junior Carson Smith had a pair of singles, but Vandalia (1-2) had just five hits as a team.

Senior Michael Wells tossed a complete game, striking out four and allowing three earned runs.

Saturday, March 23
Cumberland 8
Vandalia 5
V: 2-0-1-0-0-0-2—5
C: 2-0-1-2-0-3-X—8
WP: Bauguss; 6 IP, 4 K
LP: Bowen (0-1); 5 IP, 5 K, 5 R, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB
Vandals: Godoyo, 3-for-4, run, 2 SB; Wehrle, 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, run, SF; Smith, 1-for-3, run, BB; Levi Carroll, 1-for-4, RBI; Collin Nestleroad, run; Wells, BB; Tyler Dagen, BB; Ledbetter, BB.
Record: 1-1

Saturday, March 23
St. Anthony 7
Vandalia 1
S: 3-0-1-2-0-1-0—7-6-5
V: 0-1-0-0-0-0—1-5-5
LP: Wells (0-1); 7 IP, 4 K, 7 R, 3 ER, 6 H, 6 BB
Vandals: Smith, 2-for-3; Carroll, 1-for-3, run; Wells, 1-for-3; Nestleroad, 1-for-3; Ledbetter, SB.
Record: 1-2

Vandalia junior Colin Ledbetter races to first base last Friday against Ramsey. He reached base in all four of his plate appearances.

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