The Plymouth Post 27 Junior team won’t soon forget the championship game of the state tournament Sunday in Evansville’s Charles H. Braun Stadium.
Trailing 6-2 headed into its last at-bat, Plymouth saved its best offensive inning for the most important time.
The Spyders scored an incredible nine runs in the top of the seventh to beat Evansville Post 44 11-8 to capture the title.
In the seventh, Plymouth had 11 hits. The biggest hit came off the bat of Landon Tyler. His bases-clearing triple drove in three.
For the game, the Spyders banged out 18 hits led by Dominic Vasquez’s three, including a second-inning double. Vasquez also had three RBI.
Braxton Alderfer also had three hits, all singles.
Plymouth’s scoring started on a run-scoring single by Max Grube in the top of the second.
Parker Adamson, Mekhi Pulluaim, Braxton Kauffman, Grube, and Christian Cruz-Mahler each collected multiple hits for the Spyders.
Kauffman started the game for the Spyders on the hill. He allowed 10 hits and Evansville scored eight unearned runs over 6 2/3 innings. Kauffman struck out four and walked two.
Tyler appeared in relief for Plymouth.
• PLYMOUTH POST 27 JR 11, EVANSVILLE POST 44 JR 8
Post 27 020 000 9 – 11 17 5
Post 44 011 202 2 – 8 11 4
WP: Braxton Kauffman (catcher Braxton Alderfer)
LP: Blake Miley (catcher Carson Tate)
2B: Dominick Vasquez (Post 27), Braxton Kauffman (Post 27)
3B: Landon Tyler (Post 27), Carson Tate (Post 44)
On Saturday Plymouth High School’s Christian Cruz-Mahler came up with the biggest hit of the season for his Post 27 Junior team.
With the state semifinal game tied at two in the bottom of the seventh, Cruz-Mahler’s double scored the game’s winning run.
The 3-2 walk-off victory over Evansville Post 44 punched the Spyders’ ticket to the state tournament’s championship game.
Brady Blackford pitched all seven innings for Post 27, allowing just three hits and one earned run. He struck out seven batters, while walking three.
The Spyders trailed 2-0 in the bottom of the third, but they scored a run in that frame and one in the fourth to tie the game setting up the dramatic victory.
Plymouth’s Logan Nelson stole home to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth.
Hits were tough to come by for the Spyders, too. They managed just four, including a pair of doubles, but none was bigger than Cruz-Mahler’s, which won it.
• PLYMOUTH POST 27 JR 3, EVANSVILLE POST 44 JR 2
Post 44 020 000 0 – 2 3 2
Post 27 001 100 1 – 3 4 2
WP: Brady Blackford (catcher Braxton Alderfer)
LP: Dylan Marshall (catcher Carson Tate)
2B: Christian Cruz-Mahler (Post 27), Adan Macias (Post 27)
Vasquez complete game helps Spyders advance
On Friday the Plymouth Post 27 Junior team defeated Evansville Post 8 Juniors 3-1 in the state tournament quarterfinals.
It was a hard-fought well-pitched affair.
Dominic Vasquez started the game for the Spyders and went the distance.
He allowed six hits and one unearned run over seven innings. Vasquez struck out seven and walked one.
Plymouth started the scoring when Christian Cruz-Mahler’s double drove in a run.
The Spyders had six hits and as many walks.
Leading the way for Plymouth offensively was its No. 7 hitter Max Grube. He was 2-for-2 at the plate. Mekhi Pulluaim earned two of the six walks.
• PLYMOUTH POST 27 JR 3, Evansville POST 8 JR 1
Post 27 010 110 x – 3 6 2
WP: Dominick Vasquez (catcher Braxton Alderfer)
LP: William Bippus (catcher Cameron Witty)
2B: Christian Cruz-Mahler (Post 27)