PHS loses first game
LaPORTE � Plymouth couldn�t find much offense until it was too late as the #2 (3A) Pilgrims fell to #2 (4A) LaPorte in a classic pitchers duel 2-1.
After picking up a win with two perfect innings of relief the night before, Marc Caban took the ball for his regular starting turn and was nearly flawless again, going the distance and surrendering just four hits, striking out three and not walking a batter. The Plymouth righ hander recorded 13 ground ball outs and threw just 68 pitches, taking a no hitter into the fourth inning.
�It�s a shame to waste a performance like that on the mound,� said Plymouth coach Tony Plothow, �And to our team�s credit we made some nice plays behind Marc defensively. We made some really outstanding plays, some things we�ve been looking for all year. The only thing we didn�t do well today was hit, and we didn�t do that at all, really.�
Facing a tough conference schedule of their own, the Slicers were forced to put freshman lefthander Andy Weeks on the mound in his first varsity game and hope for the best.
They got it.
Weeks walked four and surrendered four hits, but the Pilgrims failed to take advantage of opportunities leaving eight men on base and stranding four in scoring position in the last three innings. On the other side, the Slicers had only two men in scoring position all day long. Both scored.
�It was a classic game of baseball,� said Plothow, �The only difference in the game is they took advantage of every one of their opportunities. We could only take advantage of one of ours.�
The one opportunity came in the seventh when Derek Birchmeier led off the inning with a triple off Weeks. LaPorte coach Scott Upp countered by bringing ace Craig Costello to the mound coming off a 15 strikeout performance of his own against Merrillville the night before.
Charley Craig greeted Costello rudely with a run scoring single to right but that would end the bleeding as Costello retired the side for the save.
�We�ve been struggling a little, getting the big hits,� said Plothow, �Last night we left 13 men on base, Wednesday Birch had the big three run homer, but up to that we couldn�t drive home the run. It was good to see Charley (Craig) step up in a clutch RBI situation for us, we need him to keep doing that, and we need to get a little more aggressive at the plate, especially early in the count. It wouldn�t be a bad thing for us to start forcing the issue a little instead of letting the pitcher do it.�
Plymouth moves to 6-1 on the year with a home NLC game with Goshen on Monday. LaPorte is now 10-2.
Linescore
Plymouth 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1-6-1
LaPorte 0 0 0 1 0 1 x 2-4-0
WP- Weeks (1-0), Costello (S) 7 and Mrozinski. LP- Caban (2-1) and Ruff. 3B- Birchmeier (P). 2B- Scott (P).
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