PLYMOUTH – It was a rough day with some interesting ups and downs as Plymouth’s Pilgrims fell at home to LaPorte by a final of 11-7.
Three errors helped the Slicers get ahead early and their last five runs scored with just one hit leaving it a very unsatisfying and uncharacteristically sloppy day for the Pilgrims.
“We gave them a lot of freebies today,” said Plymouth head coach Ryan Wolfe. “I don’t care who you are or whatever team you play you aren’t going to win many games doing that. We haven’t done that. We’ve been on the other end of that and taken advantage of it but that’s something we haven’t done.”
It was a wild ride of a Saturday with the Slicers plating four in the top of the first after two were out with five straight hits and a Plymouth error. The Pilgrims answered with two of their own in the bottom half on Grant Stukenborg’s two out single.
Not to be outdone LaPorte added two more with two out in the second on Jon Williams two run homer. Plymouth responded with two of their own to keep it 6-4. From there starters Ezra Winkle for Plymouth and Noah Mathias settled in to keep it there until the fifth.
“Ezra settled in well and he got stronger after his first two inning,” said Wolfe. “But that’s something we just talked about at home we’ve got to do a better job getting off the field in the first inning without giving up a run, and we gave up four so we’re behind the eight ball right away in the first inning.”
Plymouth came back with three big runs in the fifth with Winkle and Stukenborg providing big RBI hits and giving Plymouth the lead for the first time in the game but it would be short lived. Winkle walked the first two Laporte hitters in the sixth and a sacrifice bunt by Bishop Yagoda loaded the bases when Stukenborg couldn’t handle Winkle’s throw.
Winkle was able to get two out on Peyton Riehle’s sacrifice fly and a fly out to right by Andy Samuelson. Reliever Jeremy Drudge came on and walked Jon Williams who had already homered and doubled off Winkle, and surrendered a two run single to Will Malekovic that would be the difference in the game.
Some uncharacteristic Plymouth defensive lapses added to the problem of the walks.
“It was simple things like just being in the right spot and really just seeing the ball off the bat,” said Wolfe. “Maybe we take some of those little things for granted that our guys can do that and maybe we shouldn’t. You talk about freebies in general and those are things we can’t do. We haven’t been playing this way and we’ll leave it and come back on Monday.”
“We may see them again. We’re better than some of the things we showed today and so are they. We hit the ball. Our seven runs came from us hitting the ball and manufacturing those runs. I know we’re better defensively than what we showed today and better on the mound but give them credit, they took advantage of it and put us on the losing end today.”
Plymouth is now 6-2 on the year, LaPorte goes to 12-3.
LINESCORE
LaPorte 4 2 0 0 0 0 4 1 – 11-9-1
Plymouth 2 2 0 0 3 0 0 – 7-9-3
WP – Chandler Banic. LP – Ezra Winkle. HR – Jon Williams (L). 2B – Williams (L), Nolan Lorenz (L).
