Plymouth 10U baseball: Jessen, Plymouth 10u Tame the Wildcats
PLYMOUTH – The Emergency Forklift Service’s Plymouth 10u used a 12-run first inning to beat the Whitko Wildcats 7-14 on a beautiful Wednesday night at Ed Hess Field.
The first place Pilgrims would use their big first inning as momentum to carry them through the night.
After a lead-off walk by Jak Chaney and a single by Trey Delp, Big Red had runners at the corners for the three-hole hitter, Preston Jessen. Jessen jumped on the first pitch, depositing it in shallow leftfield. The Pilgrims led 0-1, a lead they would never surrender.
The inning continued two hitters later as Tre Jordan used a Fielder’s Choice groundball to net the second Plymouth run. A two-out Bowling walk would leave runners at the corners again, this time for Malachi Sieh, who would promptly single in another run. Jack Christiansen followed with a double to centerfield scoring Sieh. Plymouth led 0-5.
Two walks by Blake Mackey and Branson Adkins would load the bases; Parker Wolfe collected 2-RBIs on a single to center. Another two walks by Austin Price, Chaney and a RBI hit-by-pitch for Delp saw the score rise to 0-9, Pilgrims.
The run parade wasn’t over as Jessen came to the plate for the second time, this at-bat with the bases loaded. A screaming line-drive double by Jessen would clear the bases and end the first inning scoring with Big Red in the lead 0-12.
Whitko would battle back in the third inning, scoring five runs on four walks, two hits and a Pilgrim error, clawing closer 5-12. The Wildcats would plate another run in the fourth and fifth innings, ending their night with seven total runs.
The Pilgrims would tack on another two runs in the bottom of the fourth from RBIs by Jessen and Bowling. Big Red finished their night with 14 runs, 11 hits and one Wildcat error.
Bowling would go on to earn the win, pitching three innings, giving up four earned runs on two hits, three walks, while fanning five Wildcats. Jordan would come on in relief, earning the save with three innings pitched giving up two runs on two hits and two walks.
While the Plymouth pitching was outstanding for most of the game, the story was all about the lumber. Leading the way was Jessen with a big night, going three-for-three with three hits and five RBIs. Parker Wolfe and Sieh each added two more runs batted in. On the night, eight different Pilgrims hitters would get a hit, even more impressive was the relatively even production, seeing eight batters get RBIs.
In the end, Plymouth’s first inning explosion was just too much to overcome as Big Red ends the night with a two-game lead, first place standing in the Boys of Summer baseball league. Emergency Forklift Service’s Plymouth 10u (5-0) will be back in action Saturday, May 20, 2017, at home against The Nappanee Panthers. Game time is 5:00pm, at Ed Hess Field.
Whitko 0 0 5 1 1 0 – 7 5 1
Plymouth 12 0 0 2 0 X – 14 11 2
WP – Bowling (3-0). LP – Carter Bradley. Save – Jordan. 2B – Jessen, Christiansen.
