ROLLING PRAIRIE - The 2023 Old Republic Wiffle®Ball League season arrived on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately for the New Carlisle Newts (1-2), the offense missed the bus to Prairie View Elementary.
The Hudson Lake Heat (2-1) took two of three against the Newts (3-0, 0-2, 4-0) on a blustery day which included moments of rain, sleet, and a wind chill of 39 degrees.
Heat ace Doug Benner held the Newts to just two runs in three games.
In the opener, Hudson Lake struck first with back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the third. The only two dingers of the afternoon were plenty of support for Benner, but the Heat tacked on another tally in the bottom of the fifth.
Losing pitcher Aidan Cotter provided most of his own offensive support, logging three hits in the game. Garrett Curless was the only other Newt to reach base with two singles of his own.
Cotter picked up the win in the second game, and Curless added two more hits.
The Newts scored their runs in the fifth inning. Three consecutive hits culminated in a Tyler Shupert RBI single to score Matt Soos. Cotter added his own insurance policy with a groundout which scored Curless.
An opportunity to win the series was not enough inspiration for the Newts lineup in the rubber match. The Newts defense allowed a pair of runs in each of the first two innings to fall behind 4-0 early.
The offense fared no better, as Benner was one out away from a perfect game before Cotter doubled with two outs in the sixth. It proved to be the only hit of the game for the Newts, as the next batter grounded out to end the series.
New Carlisle is back on the road next weekend at The Barnyard, where they will face the Flat Rock Cyclones (1-2). First pitch is scheduled for 1:00pm ET.
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