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It was obvious Saturday.
Looking sluggish and overmatched, the Winhawks managed just one hit and used four pitchers in a 15-0 loss to Rochester Century in five innings.
It was the Winhawks’ third game in three days and their ninth in the past 10 days. It came just hours after they used five pitchers in a 24-3, five-inning loss at Rochester John Marshall on Friday.
“This is a fatigued ballclub right now,” Smith said. “The kids are playing a major-league schedule, and when you play two-thirds of your games in two weeks, it’s tough.”
The start to Saturday’s game was promising, as WSHS starter Jake Walther retired the Panthers in order in the top of the first inning, but the Winhawks managed to get consecutive outs only twice the rest of the way.
Erik Ordahl belted an opposite-field home run to right-center to spark Century’s three-run, five-hit second inning.
The Panthers added three more in the third before batting around and exploding for six runs in the fourth against three WSHS pitchers, including Logan Hemker, who made his first appearance of the season.
Hemker, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, allowed four runs — three earned — and recorded one out. Brandon Schmit pitched the final 12/3, allowing three runs — two earned — on two hits.
“We’ve asked the kids to do a lot over the past two weeks, and they’ve hung in there the best they can,” said Smith, whose team is 1-12 when scoring five runs or fewer. “We’re asking these kids to play six, seven games in five days. It’s hard.”
It doesn’t get much easier.
WSHS (5-13, 5-11), will finish a rain-shortened game against Owatonna on Monday before beginning the regularly scheduled contest.
Jeff Walters, who had the Winhawks’ lone hit in a 5-0 loss to Century (13-5, 7-5) a week earlier, lined a single in the fourth inning for the Winhawks’ only hit Saturday.
Walters was one of four players to reach base for WSHS, which advanced only one runner as far as second base.
