No. 6 Providence Edges Plainfield East

March 25, 2017

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor – Illinois/Wisconsin

No. 6 Providence 9, Plainfield East 8

PLAINFIELD, IL – With gusting winds straight out centerfield, it was a great day to be a hitter in Plainfield. Baseballs were easily flying out of the yard and starters RHP Andrew Hoffman (Plainfield East) and RHP Bryce Barnett (Providence Catholic) were tasked with keep the ball down in the zone and keeping the game tight enough to give their team a chance in their last at bats.

The fireworks started right out the gates with Providence leadoff hitter Gaosh Williams going deep to center. Three batters later Nick Jones followed suit with a bullet of his own to centerfield for a two-run shot, quickly making it 3-0 Providence.

Plainfield East’s Frank Bryan got on the home run train in his first at bat with a solo shot to tie the game 3-3 after one inning of play.

The Celtic bats went deep again to start the third. Outfielders Drew Hunniford and Dakota Kotowski went back-to-back with solo homeruns kicking off another Celtic three-run inning. The Bengals matched in the bottom half of the inning sending nine batters to the plate and scoring three runs on just one hit.

The wind died down and so did the bats as the game went along. Frank Bryan belted his second home run of the game in the bottom of the fifth to give Plainfield East a one run lead, but the Bengal defense squandered the edge allowing an unearned run in the sixth and seventh innings, surrendering the lead and the game to the Celtics.

Statistical Highlights

+ Nick Jones (Providence Catholic): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2RBI

+ Matt Swanson (Providence Catholic): 2-3, RBI

+ Frank Bryan (Plainfield East): 2-4, 2HR, 4RBI, 2R

+ Ryan Louck (Plainfield East): 2IP, 2R, 0ER, 2H, 5K, 1BB