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O'Dell dazzles as Tigers top Warrensburg in season-opener
A sparkling 13 strikeout performance from Nevada pitcher Derek O'Dell lifted the Tigers to a 4-2 season-opening victory over Warrensburg Monday afternoon at Lyons Stadium.
"It's good to get a conference win at home to open the season," Nevada head coach Danny Penn said during his post-game radio interview.
Despite battling some early control issues, along with 35 mile per hour wind gusts, O'Dell benefited from strong defense en route to spinning a four-hit complete-game.
"It seemed like for a while a walk or a strikeout were the two results," Penn said of O'Dell.
O'Dell was especially sharp from the fifth through seventh innings, when his curveball was borderline unhittable.
"He really found himself there in the fifth inning and finished lights out," Penn said.
With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Nevada sophomore Branden Harder launched a Malachai Browning offering over the left field fence, putting the Tigers on top 1-0.
Harder was so excited about his first career home run, that he nearly missed touching first base.
"Branden hit the homer that surprised everybody, maybe nobody more than himself," Penn said with a chuckle. "I looked over and he was stopped on first base ---- didn't know what was going on."
O'Dell hit a rough patch in the top of the third, as Warrensburg leadoff hitter Mason Janvrin's solo home run knotted the score 1-1.
Later in the inning, cleanup hitter Kevin Hardin lined a pitch into the right-center field gap, scoring courtesy runner Jax Milne, to give Warrensburg a 2-1 advantage. Hardin was stranded at third base as the inning ended with a Kade Peterson fly out to Andrew Heathman in center field.
Back at the top of the order, Nevada junior Tyler Ketterman led off the bottom of the third inning with a double. Ketterman later advanced to third on a fielders choice and was then brought home by a Heathman sacrifice fly, tying the score 2-2 after three innings of play.
With two outs in the top of the fourth and Dayton Brown at third, Nevada first baseman Trey Pritchett saved a run after snagging a line-drive that was headed for the right-center field gap.
Meanwhile, back on the mound, O'Dell cruised through the top of the fifth inning, picking up back-to-back strike outs of Gabe Corona and Browning.
Ketterman's nice day at the plate continued in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff double. Ketterman then swiped second base. Harder followed at the plate, rocketing a Browning pitch into left-center field, plating Ketterman to hand the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
Looking to cushion its lead, Nevada was unable to capitalize, leaving runners on second and third.
Nevada however, was able to tack on to its lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Junior Jacob Johnson led things off with a stand-up double off Janvrin, who relieved Browning on the mound. Bryson Leftwich advanced Johnson to third via a sacrifice bunt.
The insurance run came courtesy of a Myles McNeley sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Johnson from third to hand Nevada a 4-2 lead heading into the top of the seventh.
"The thing I was most happy about, was in the sixth inning, manufacturing a run at the bottom of our lineup," Penn said. "Jake leading off with a double, Bryson moving him around with a bunt and Myles bringing him home with a sacrifice fly ---- you couldn't draw it up any better than that.
"Last year, I questioned whether or not we could have manufactured that run. Andy's sac-fly earlier in the game was another instance where we played to the situation."
Despite a 1-out double off the bat of Billy Ring, O'Dell still managed to strike out the side in the top of the seventh, fanning Kevin Robbins, Trevor Faubion, and Janvrin to end the game.
"You can't ask for a whole lot more," Penn said of O'Dell's spectacular performance.
Along with O'Dell, Penn said he was impressed with Brett Mitchell behind the plate. Mitchell gunned down two Warrensburg runners, helping O'Dell out of early-inning jams.
"Brett is a weapon for us," Penn said. "He's another coach on the field. Overall we played well defensively. When you have a pitcher struggling like Rick was early ---- anytime the defense can pick you up is a benefit.
"We got three defensive outs on the base-paths, with Brett throwing two of those runners out. Those outs can be a nice pick-me-up for a pitcher, and they kind of helped Rick settle down."
For Nevada, the top of its order was potent, with Ketterman, Harder and Heathman accounting for five of the Tigers seven hits.
"The top of our lineup had a lot of good swings today," Penn said. ----
Up next
The Tigers (1-0) host Carthage, with the first pitch slated for 4:30 p.m. Thursday.