SYRACUSE – When you’re hot, you’re hot and Plymouth’s Pilgrims are that taking a 9-2 road victory at Wawasee and staying in the hunt for a share of the NLC title.
It was a weird day for the Pilgrims as senior awards at the high school let a number of players out of school early and senior night for the Warriors led to a late start once at the field.
“With the kind of schedule we had (today) it’s great we were able to get out to a good start,” said Plymouth head coach Ryan Wolfe. “We’re swinging the bats pretty hot right now. We are dead tired it’s our fourth game in a row but when you’re hot you want to keep playing and we’ve done a good job this week.”
Plymouth rode a six run second inning to the win. Back to back doubles by starting pitcher Brayden Davidson and catcher Elijah Nixon plated the first run. Joe Smith’s big night at the plate started in the next at bat when he doubled home Nixon’s courtesy runner Jeremy Splix.
Smith would end the night adding a triple, driving home another run. George Stults added a two RBI single in the big Plymouth second inning. Davidson ended the Plymouth scoring with a solo homer in the fifth.
“It’s always good to win, the last two nights in a row, long bus rides we were able to get out to an early lead, take advantage of it and hang on,” said Wolfe. “Brayden did a great job coming off short rest, went a little longer than I thought he might – he talked me into letting him go back out there for the fifth.
“Cody came on and did a great job. I was happy we were able to get him some work, it’s been awhile since he’s been out there, that will keep him sharp. We were able to get some guys some at bats tonight to and that’s always good.”
Once again the Pilgrims continued to show depth all over the field.
When you get to this time you want to have your best nine out there with your best guy on the mound but we have a lot of guys that are our best guys,” said Wolfe. “We keep saying, ‘just give us what you’ve got’ and they do that and we have guys behind them. We’re athletic one through 14. We haven’t won a game without any one of them.”
Plymouth is now 12-9 and 8-4 in NLC play. They will be on the road at South Bend Clay Saturday morning and come home to Bill Nixon Field on Monday to take on NorthWood.
LINESCORE
Plymouth 0 6 2 0 1 0 0 9-8-1
Wawasee 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2-5-0
WP – Davidson. LP – Rookstool. HR – Davidson (P). 3B – Smith (P). 2B – Davidson (P), Smith (P), Nixon (P), Dingledein (W), Wright (W), Prescott (W).
