DEFIANCE, OH – The Post 27 Diamond Spyders made a sweep of Saturday and completed a 3-1 weekend at Defiance College taking a doubleheader win over Milan (Ohio) Post 527 by a 7-2 final and taking the nightcap over Adrian (MI) Post 275 by a 13-10 final.
Plymouth 7, Milan 2
The Diamond Spyders scored first and made it hold up in taking a win over Milan Post 527 in game one of a Saturday doubleheader at Defiance College in Ohio.
Benji Nixon led off the game with a walk and scored on Matt Pritz sacrifice fly to center in the first inning and Post 27 never trailed in the game. They added three runs in the second as Milan starter Bailey Hahn struggled with his control walking two runs in.
Meanwhile Nick Willoughby made every big pitch he needed, wriggling free from several jams to throw six shut out innings to get the win. Willoughby struck out six, walked two and hit a batter and gave up just five hits in getting the win.
“I didn’t think that Nick had his best stuff but he was able to pitch out of jams early,” said Post 27 Manager Will Hostrawser. “It’s a sign of a veteran pitcher when he can make those kind of pitches when the game is on the line, give you a chance to win even when he’s not sharp.”
He got help from an error free Plymouth defense that made every play behind their starter. Myles Jageman came on to close out the win striking out two in the final inning.
Plymouth sealed the win with a three run sixth inning the big blow a two run single from Braydon Davidson, part of a two for two game from the Post 27 third baseman. Caleb Mikesell had a pair of hits for the Diamond Spyders as well
Plymouth 13, Adrian 10
Plymouth came out red hot at the plate in game two pounding out 19 hits against four Adrian pitchers but had to hold on for the win as Post 275 made a late charge with seven runs in the final two frames with Jageman able to strike out Kyle Staelgrave’s for the final out with the tying run on base.
Post 27 again jumped out early with a run in the first, two more in the second and a six run third.
“I thought Caleb Mikesell had a particularly good day across both games and Benji (Nixon) really broke out in that second game,” said Hostrawser. “Benji makes our lineup completely different. He gets on base and allows us to put some of those hitters back in the order. We did a lot better job today I think on 3-1 and 2-0 counts squaring up the ball and not getting out in front.
“If there’s a negative to today it’s that we left too many runners on base.”
The Diamond Spyders left 16 runners on in game two and 25 on the day.
Post 27 pitchers struggled to find the zone for most of game two. Starter Brogan Briggs walked four and threw 93 pitches in just four innings work but gave up just three hits and struck out five. Hostrawser had praise for his catcher – Matt Pritz – in helping get the win.
“Not just blocking the ball and receiving,” said Hostrawser. “He does a really good job calling a game, calling time out at the right time and going out and getting in the pitchers ear, really just reading the flow of the game. It’s good to have a veteran leader like that behind the plate.”
Post 27 is now 7-2 on the year with a game against the Ohio River Bandits at Four Winds Field on Monday night.
Linescore
Game One
Milan 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2-6-1
Post 27 1 3 0 0 0 3 7-6-0
WP – Willoughby. LP – Hahn. 3B – Linegro (M). 2B – Linegro.
Game Two
Post 27 1 2 6 0 0 3 1 13-19-2
Adrian 1 1 0 1 0 5 2 10-14-7
WP – Briggs. LP – Osborn. 2B – Mikesell (P), Hensley(P), Delinski (P), Sikkenga (A), Cowan (A).
