Hanover earns share of PCC title

Updated: May 10, 2011 11:04PM

The managerial wheels were turning in the third inning of Tuesday’s key Porter County Conference matchup between Hanover Central and visiting Boone Grove.

In the top of the inning, Boone Grove’s Rollie Thill noticed that a Wildcats batter apparently used a bat that was not legal. This season, aluminum bats are made to create a sound a little closer to what you would traditionally hear when bat meets ball. So when Thill heard a little too much ping, he sprung into action and the bat was discarded.

But there was another executive decision that led the Wildcats to a 10-4 win and a chance for school history.

In the bottom of the third with two runners on and no one out, Hanover coach Doug Nelson signalled for Nick Bollenbacher to bunt. Twice he tried and twice he failed. So, would Nelson ask him to give it a third try? Nope. Swing away, young man. Swing away.

Good call.

Bollenbacher blasted the next pitch over the right-centerfield wall to give the Wildcats a 4-0 lead. The win clinched for them at least a share of the PCC title. A win in either of their final two conference games, including Wednesday against LaCrosse, would give them their first outright title.

“That changed the game for us,” Hanover Central pitcher Andy Wellwerts said of Bollenbacher’s third homer in four games. “We were up then, but as soon as he hit that one we put them away for good.”

Wellwerts’ performance saw to it that the Wildcats (11-3, 5-0 in PCC) stayed unbeaten in conference, giving up only two hits while striking out 12 — including at least one in every inning he pitched.

“Andy’s a great pitcher. Wherever he goes to college he’s going to be great,” Bollenbacher said. “I’m just enjoying the games I have with him.”

The feeling was not mutual for a young Boone Grove team playing its 10th game in 12 days.

“This has been a learning process for us but we met a good, quality opponent today,” Thill said.

The Wolves didn’t give up in the seventh, trailing 10-1. Losing pitcher A.J. Mosier smacked a two-run double in that inning for Boone (12-8, 4-3).

On the Hanover Central side, the top three hitters in Nelson’s lineup had huge afternoons. Bollenbacher, Zak Maciejewski and Nic Sampognaro got on base a combined 11 times.

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