By Rusty Nixon
Correspondent
PLYMOUTH – It was just another day at the office as Plymouth’s Pilgrims won yet another game in walk off fashion 6-5 over Wawasee at Bill Nixon Field.
For the fourth time in the past five games the Pilgrims scored in their final at bat and for the third time out of those four it was good enough for a win, when Braydon Davidson put a 1-0 fastball off the 360 mark in center for the hit that would drive Brandon Milligan home from third with the game winning run.
It didn’t seem like Plymouth would need Davidson’s heroics as they scored five runs – three in the third and two more in the fourth – and appeared to be sailing to a win. Pilgrim starter Cam Eveland took a 5-0 shut out into the fourth but was touched for three runs before giving way to Dave Bacon who stopped the bleeding in the fifth and Cody Gamble who struck out the side in the sixth.
Wawasee had other ideas tying it with two in the seventh off Gamble and leaving it on the shoulders of the opportunistic Plymouth offense once again.
“We don’t practice (walk off wins) but we do practice getting big hits,” said Plymouth coach Ryan Wolfe. “Give our kids credit. We had some good at bats there.
“We scored some tonight in the one inning we scored all three of our runs with two out. I knew it would come. It’s been tough for us. Our guys battled.”
Brandon Milligan started the seventh with a lead off walk, moved to second when Warrior pitcher Bailey Hershberger fumbled Cam Eveland’s bunt, and moved to third when Joe Smith laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt. The Warriors chose to walk Justin Drudge to set up a force play, setting the table for Davidson.
“It couldn’t have been set up any better for us with three guys that could move and put the ball in play and do some things,” said Wolfe. “It puts a lot of pressure on the defense. I told Joe (Smith) just get the ball down. I told Brandon (Milligan) if you see the middle infielders break you get a big secondary lead – there’s nobody there behind – and you have to get to third.
“In the seventh our guys are bleeding confidence right now. They know if we’re put in those situations guys are going to come through.”
Another positive was another arm added to an already deep pitching staff. Eveland in his first start was very strong going four and a third, striking out four and giving up just two hits.
“He threw real well tonight. We can throw him right in there in the conference mix with Cody and Bailey on the back end there,” said Wolfe. “We have a lot of options. We have a lot of guys. A lot of guys that can pound the zone, and I hope that they know I have confidence in any of them to put them in in any situation.”
The Pilgrims stand at 5-5 and 3-2 in NLC play. Wawasee is 6-5 and 1-4.
Linescore
Wawasee 0 0 0 3 0 2 5-6-2
Plymouth 0 0 3 2 0 0 1 6-11-1
WP – Cody Gamble. LP – Bailey Hershberger. 2B – Gage Reinhard (W).
