PLYMOUTH — New game, same result as for a second time this year, Plymouth and NorthWood battled to a 1-0 final with the Panthers taking a second win.

NorthWood right hander Drake Gongwer struck out 14 Pilgrims in the first contest; this time Plymouth got a better look at the ball at the plate but still couldn’t push a runner into scoring position.

Plymouth starter Cam Dennie took a no-hitter into the seventh, but then after getting lead-off hitter Sawyer Warren to ground out the to mound, he got behind second hitter Brent Mast. Mast slapped a two-one pitch to left and legged out a double to put a runner in scoring position. Drew Minnich moved Mast to third with a ground out, but the big blow came off the bat of Vince Herschberger who hit double on a one-and-two count to plate what would be the game winner.

“It was a great game,” said Plymouth head coach Ryan Wolfe. “Both sides, both teams made plays. You didn’t see very many base runners tonight and that’s attributable to the two guys on the mound. I thought Cam (Dennie) pitched great tonight and so did (Drake Gongwer).
“It comes down to getting a guy to second base. We just didn’t get a guy to second base and give us an opportunity to score there. They made a great play in the sixth inning if (Drew) Minnich drops that, we probably score a run so it was a good ballgame and unfortunately we end up on the short end.”

Wolfe was alluding to the only real chance the Pilgrims had to score when Benji Nixon drew a two-out walk and Dennie hit a drive down the right field line that would certainly have been an extra base hit and likely scoring Nixon, except for a fine running and diving catch on the line by Minnich.

Pitching was the name of the game and Dennie had his best outing of the year until the seventh.

“Cam mixed his curve ball, slider and fastball, and we played some good defense all night. We were in good spots all night,” said Wolfe. “I thought we had some good swings. The first time we saw this guy he struck 14 of us out. I thought we put the ball in play, made them make some plays.”

“We had the approach of just putting the ball in play. If we get two strikes, he’s got that slider, so just stay on it, keep our front side on it and at least make them make plays,” said Wolfe. “It was a good clean ball game all around and it comes down to finding a way. Any way to get a run home, you knew it was going to be a one-run ball game.”

The win puts NorthWood at 20-1 for the year, the only blemish an opening day loss to Westview. Plymouth is now 11-12 with a game against CMA tonight at Bill Nixon Field.

NorthWood 1, Plymouth 0
NorthWood 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-2-0
Plymouth. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0-1-1
WP – Drake Gongwer. LP – Cam Dennie. 2B – Brent Mast (NW), Vince Herschberger (NW).