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Drizzle and sizzle: Panthers weather delay, Fossil Ridge to even series
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
The Plano East baseball team's bats picked up right where they left off from in Thursday's Game 1 of the team's best-of-3 bi-district series against Keller Fossil Ridge.
Only Friday in Game 2, the Panthers had the pitching to keep pace and stifle Fossil Ridge long enough to draw even in the series with a 7-2 victory.
"We pitched the ball much better tonight," said Travis Collins, East head coach. "[In Game 1], we walked seven guys and hit one at their place. The last two nights, we've swung really well and hopefully that will continue."
Sophomore James Rudkin and senior Clark Kahawaii triggered the rally after getting on base via a walk and fielder's choice, respectively. With one out in the frame, senior Jacob DeLaCruz clubbed a two-run double into left field that scored the two baserunners and established a 4-2 lead.
"We always knew we could swing the bats very well," Collins said. "We had just gotten into a bit of a funk at the plate and we've finally started to figure it out. We've worked real hard on it over the last couple weeks; a lot of corrections on technique and our focus has been really good at the plate."
One frame later, senior Matt Wylie, pinch-running for junior Cody Lenderman, capitalized on a wild pitch by Fossil Ridge hurler Daulton Leiker by scampering home for the 5-2 edge.
About all that could slow the Panthers was Mother Nature, which in fact ran its course with two outs in the fourth inning when a 20-minute lightning delay was ruled.
Time would pass, with any rainfall or inclement weather promptly dissipating.
"The umpires are in charge of all that and we have a lightning meter," Collins said. "We weren't looking at that, but that's [the umpire's] call to make."
Even some time away from the diamond couldn't stymie the Panthers, who posted two more runs off Fossil Ridge reliever Dylan Green in the sixth for good measure.
With Green, initially Fossil Ridge's starting right fielder, drawing the assignment to relieve Lieker -- who surrendered five runs on six hits over four innings -- the Panthers capitalized on Green's replacement in right, who misplayed a pair of fly balls for extra-base hits by DeLaCruz and junior Nick Ramos over the final two innings.
"Those are hard balls to figure out anyway, especially once the wind changes directions," Collins said. "If you hit anything to right center, it's really going to carry."
The latter of those two miscues proved especially untimely for Fossil Ridge, as Ramos plated senior Sam Lane with an RBI double in the sixth inning. Ramos would later score on a Kahawaii RBI, the senior's second run knocked in on the night.
While the Panthers continued their efficiency from the plate, Fossil Ridge was stuck in neutral -- thanks in part to the pitching of senior Ryan Boucher and the East defense.
After surrendering six hits and two runs though three, the Panthers allowed just one baserunner over the final four frames after Jake Wymer reached base on an error.
Boucher tossed a complete game despite not recording either a strikeout or a walk.
The pitcher settled down midway through the contest after the two teams traded ties through the first two and a half innings. The Panthers struck first on an RBI single by Kahawaii, one of three Panthers alongside DeLaCruz and Ramos to tally multi-hit games, that scored Lane. Fossil Ridge countered a half-inning later, with a fielder's choice by Austin Ingraham to plate Christian Hollie, only for the Panthers to retake the lead in the second on an RBI single by sophomore Ryan Rettke. Fossil Ridge kept pace in the third with a Wymer sacrifice fly that scored Hollie.
East would go on for the 7-2 victory, forcing a series-deciding matchup Saturday at 1 p.m. (results not available at press time).
"It's an opportunity to keep playing," Collins said, "and that's all we wanted to start the day."
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