PRAIRIE GROVE -- Shiloh Christian didn't generate a lot of offense Monday, but Jake Reindl didn't need much, either.
The Saints' senior right-hander allowed just one hit -- an infield single -- and struck out eight in a 5-1 win over Prairie Grove in 4A-1 Conference action.
4A-1 CONFERENCE
Baseball
Shiloh Christian 5, Prairie Grove 1
Shiloh Christian^200^001^2^—^5^6^2
Prairie Grove^000^001^0^—^1^1^2
Reindl, Offenbacker (7) and Butler; Heltemes, Dodd (7) and Evans. W-Reindl, 1-1. L-Heltemes, 1-1. Sv-Offenbacker (1). HR-None.
Reindl (1-1), an Arkansas signee, struck out five Tigers hitters looking, by spotting his fastball on both sides of the plate, and using a sharp curve ball to keep the Prairie Grove hitters off-balance.
"My curveball was working really well today. We got the outside corner quite a few times and were able to K them up," Reindl said."
The Saints (2-1, 1-0 4A-1) scored a pair of first inning runs on a single by lead-off batter Kord Offenbacker, a swinging bunt by Ben Olsen and a hit batter to load the bases. A walk and a error allowed Offenbacker and Olsen to score for a 2-0 lead against Prairie Grove starter Gavin Heltemes.
Heltemes (1-1) limited further damage as Reindl lined into a double-play and coaxed a routine grounder to get out of the inning.
"We caught a break there," Prairie Grove coach Mitch Cameron said. "Reindl squared one up right down the line and our first baseman caught it and we were able to stop the bleeding."
Reindl dominated most of the game, but he also issued four walks, but the Tigers were not able to capitalize. Heltemes was equally impressive with six strikeouts and allowing just three hits.
"We kept grinding and battling, but the bottom line is, we couldn't solve the riddle," Cameron said. "We didn't make enough adjustments at the plate. But give their guy credit. He mixed it up, away, away, then he'd bust us in and mix in that curve ball every once in a while."
The early 2-0 lead was all Reindl needed, but the Saints added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Luke Bandy led off with a walk and raced all the way around to third on a fielder's choice. Bandy scored on a groundout for a 3-0 lead.
That third run loomed large in the bottom of the sixth when the Tigers (7-5, 2-1) finally broke through against Reindl. Patrick Perdue reached on a two-out walk, and Logan Gragg hit a grounder into the hole at short and beat the throw to first for the only hit of the game for the Tigers. The Saints tried to get Purdue as he raced to third, but he beat the throw. Shiloh then threw back to first to try and get Gragg, but the throw skipped into right field, and Purdue raced home to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Reindl worked out of the inning with a strikeout of the last batter he faced.
Shiloh Christian added two runs in the top of the seventh inning on Austin Connolly's RBI double to left that scored Offenbacker and Jack Bornhoft. Offenbacker had two hits for the Saints and scored twice, and Connolly drove in three runs.
The Saints have played just three games nearing the mid-point of the regular season with at least four games rained out. One of the Saints' games was played with six seniors missing on a senior trip.
"It's kind of funny when we started the game, the umpire behind the plate said, 'It's good to see you,'" Shiloh Christian coach Moe Henry said. "And I told him, 'It's good to be seen.' It's good to be out here to be seen and play some baseball."
The Saints are scheduled to travel to Gentry on Thursday, while Prairie Grove has a road game to Pea Ridge.
Sports on 04/07/2015