By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (May 4, 2026) — After losing their first league game of the season, many thought Evergreen was on life support as far as an NWOAL title was concerned.
The Vikings (8-6, 5-1 NWOAL) are still battling to stay alive, and Troy Manz gave them exactly what the doctor ordered.
The senior right-hander was in charge all night as he fired a two-hit shutout in an 8-0 triumph over Liberty Center.
Evergreen is now tied with Patrick Henry for the top spot in the league chase with 5-1 records with one league game left to play.
“Great performance on the mound by Troy,” Viking coach Chris Owens said. “He’s the kind of guy who wants the ball.
“He asks for the ball and the only way he’s coming out is because of the pitch count rule in a game of this importance. He’s a bulldog out there.”
Manz was never truly threatened during the contest. The Tigers’ best threats came in the fifth and the seventh, when they loaded the bases with two down in each inning.
In the fifth with the Vikings on top 5-0, two walks surrounded Jack Badenhop’s bloop single to load the bases. Manz struck out Nico Torres to squelch the threat.
The Vikings got the only run they would need in the bottom of the first.
Jake Farley led off with a walk against Kaden Kreinbrink, stole second, went to third on a ground ball, and scored on a wild pitch.
Manz led off the second with a triple past a diving Isaiah Badenhop in center and came home on Blake Boucher’s sacrifice bunt to double the lead.
Evergreen opened up the game when they tacked on three more in the fourth without a hit.
Manz again was the igniter of the rally as he drew a walk, then made his way to third on a pair of botched pickoff tries.
Boucher again bunted him home, and reached base on another throwing error. Nolan Hudik was hit by a pitch and stole second to put runners on second and third, but the next two Vikings bunted into outs at the plate.
However, a passed ball marked one run, and a wild pitch brought in another to boost the Evergreen advantage to 5-0.
“Earlier in the year we would have something go wrong in an opportunity like that and get nothing out of it,” Owens said of the fourth inning.
“Now we are doing a better job executing small ball, running the bases and making those chances turn into runs even when not everything goes right. This was a great team win with a guy like Blake getting bunts down twice to score runs.”
The Vikes added three more insurance runs in the sixth. Hudik singled up the middle, then stole second and third.
Chris Shrader lined a two-out base hit to left to make it 6-0. Bryce Bolger walked and worked the double steal with Shrader to score another run. Brendan Holman followed with an RBI single to push it to 8-0.
Manz loaded the bases with a pair of two-out walks and a hit batter in the seventh but held onto the shutout when he fanned Isaiah Badenhop to end the game.
Manz walked five and struck out eight going the distance. Kreinbrink took the loss for Liberty Center (9-5, 2-4 NWOAL).
LCHS 000 000 0 – 0 2 6
EHS 110 303 x – 8 7 0
WP- Troy Manz (IP-7, H-2, R-0, BB-5, K-8)
LP- Kaden Kreinbrink (IP-3.2, H-4, R-5, BB-5, K-5)
LEADING HITTERS: (Evergreen) Troy Manz – triple, 2 runs; Chris Shrader – 2 singles, RBI; (Liberty Center) – 2 singles
