Wharton rallies past Lennard; earns Markle first win
Wharton reliever Aaron Wonderley celebrates an inning-ending strikeout in the fifth, stranding a pair of Lennard runners. Wonderley earned the save, pitching three innings and allowing one unearned run.
By Jarrett Guthrie, Editor
NEW TAMPA – Down a pair of runs to visiting Lennard on Tuesday, debuting Wharton head coach Anthony Markle stopped his defense coming off the field after the top of the fourth inning, and challenged them: “This is a 15-run offense, who is gonna get us started?”
The answer to that challenge might have been a surprise to most on-site, but not for junior Chase Andress. He was ready to have an offensive impact. He’d been waiting for it. For a while.
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After two errors allowed his team to cut the Longhorns lead in half, Andress sent the second pitch of his at bat the opposite direction just out of reach of Lennard’s leftfielder and tied the game. The double ignited all the Wildcats players and fans and sparked a rally, which saw Wharton claim a 5-3 victory, and earned Markle his first high school head coaching win.
“I had zero at-bats last year,” Andress said. “I was just pitching, then unfortunately, got hurt midway through the season. This year having the opportunity to (play) two-way, getting time on the mound and at the plate really, really means something to me. And to finally get a hit, was special.”
Chase Andress motors toward second base on a game-tying RBI double in the fourth inning.
The 6-foot-5, 195-pound lefty has made 16 pitching appearances in his two previous varsity seasons, but was hungry to step in to the box for the first time since going 0-for-2 for his freshman season.
“Chase is a guy coming into the season who didn’t get a lot of opportunities to hit,” Markle said. “We wanted to let him be an athlete, and he has done a great job with that. Now, he’s learning to be a hitter using his big body as leverage. Using the other side of the field is going to make him a very dangerous hitter.”
Braden Bodenstein is fired up after scoring on a double-steal and giving Wharton the lead.
In the early going it was Lennard who first took advantage on defensive errors. The ‘Horns made a booted ball off the bat of leadoff and catcher Mikie Locke hurt when RJ Torres (2-for-3, double) drove in courtesy runner Mason Menotti. The visitors extended the lead in the fourth when Julian Ware put a two-out, 0-2 offering in play to center field for a single. Ware then scored on another Wharton error on another Locke groundball.
Lennard senior RJ Torres (2-for-3, double) squares up a high fastball, sending an RBI sac fly to right in the first inning.
In the first three innings, Lennard’s JV Brennink was in command on the mound. The junior righty struck out eight, including setting down the side in the third, but the error and run spoiled things for the right-hander. Brennick left after four innings, allowing just two hits, but three unearned runs.
“JV steps into a starting role this year from the bullpen in ’24,” Longhorns coach Vic Martinez said. “He commanded his secondary pitches well tonight and kept his composure when things didn’t go our way. He is going to be someone who gets the ball in big games.”
Defensive miscues spoiled a solid first outing for Lennard RHP JV Brennick, who struck out eight in four innings, allowing two unearned runs on two hits and two walks.
After Andress’ double, the Wildcats took little time keeping it going with Jeremiah Brown’s single to the left side moving pinch-runner Braden Bodenstein to third. Brown broke for second on the next pitch, and Bodenstein rushed home when the throw went down on a double-steal to give Wharton the lead.
Senior Luke Sauer held the Longhorns to just three hits across four innings, hanging on long enough to earn his first win of the year. He credited Andress’ clutch hit for getting him the decision when he knew his day was likely done after the top-half of the fourth.
“It all started with Chase Andress there … the dugout was kind of getting sluggish, he woke us right up with that (double), and sparked a huge inning,” Sauer said. “There is nothing more you can ask for late in the game like that.”
Yovani Depablos lined a single to left in the fifth for Lennard.
Markle was impressed by his starting pitcher, who worked through some early placement issues and stayed composed after errors allowed runs.
“Luke was getting behind in counts early a lot,” Markle said. “But to keep it a one-run game, even getting behind like that, he kept fighting and giving us an opportunity and that was big.”
Senior RHP Luke Sauer earned the win with four innings on the mound for Wharton, allowing two unearned runs on three hits & two walks, while striking out five.
Sauer struck out five, issued two walks and gave up a pair of unearned runs before handing the ball off to Aaron Wonderley, who finished off the game, also allowing an unearned run on four hits and striking out four.
“As a pitcher you have to shut it down,” Wonderley said. “Errors happen, even with the best defenses, so you just have to pick the team back up.”
Wildcats senior Justis Meadows wears the first of two hit-by-pitches of the night. Meadows had two stolen bases in the win.
The combined effort and no earned runs garnered praise from the slugger and now-former pitcher-only Andress.
“They both did great, starting off we were a little all over the place as a team,” Andress said, “but they (Sauer and Wonderley) kept them to three runs. What more can you ask for as an offense, than your pitchers to keep you in it and give you a chance?”
Lennard captain Mikie Locke watches his sixth-inning single slip through the middle of the infield for a hit.
Locke finally ended up getting a ground ball through for a hit, and this time speed-up runner Christian Skaggs added the Longhorns final run, scoring on a wild pitch in the sixth.
In the meantime, Wharton added a run in both the fifth (Jaylen Martin RBI sac fly) and sixth (Jairius Morris RBI fielder’s choice), but all eight runs in the game were due to seven combined errors and unearned for the pitching staffs of both teams.
Jaylen Martin gave his team some needed insurance with an RBI sac fly to right in the fifth inning. The fly scored Anthony Fawcett for the Wildcats fourth (and the deciding) run.
Wonderley worked around Torres’ second hit of the game in the seventh, getting a strikeout and a pair of flyouts to notch his first save of the year.
“Coach Markle is really good about letting everyone know who is going to pitch and when,” Wonderley said. “He doesn’t really play it by ear like previous years, so knowing that you are going to relieve someone, you are able to mentally prepare before the game. As a relief pitcher you don’t always get a lot of warmup (during the game) – maybe a couple of pitches – so I just felt more prepared.”
Senior Aaron Wonderley struck out four, allowing one unearned run off four hits, finishing with four strikeouts and earning the save.
After the game, Sauer took a moment to appreciate getting Markle his first win with the program.
“Ever since he got here it has been a completely different program,” Sauer said. “He’s done nothing but love us. He gets up super-early in the morning to go to work, so he can be here every afternoon for us after school. I’m so glad we were able to get his first win here tonight.”
Wharton head coach Anthony Markle: First year head coach ✓. First game ✓. First Win ✓✓✓.
Markle said the anticipation for the start of the season, fall and preseason were enjoyable, but getting going in games that count was worth the wait.
“It wasn’t easy, but it is great to play a real baseball game,” Markle said. “First game out, you don’t know what to expect, but it was just fun to be in a competitive baseball game from the start – and to come out with a win.”
On Thursday, Wharton visits Sickles, while Lennard has its home opener, welcoming Robinson to Ruskin.
Wharton 5
Lennard 3
L 100|101|0 – |3|7|4
W 000|311|x – |5|3|3
W – Sauer (1-0); L – Brennick (0-1); S – Wonderly (1)
2B – Torres (L); Andress (W). Records – L (1-0); W (0-1).
