By Steve Krah

PBR Indiana Correspondent

NAPPANEE — Senior right-hander Drake Gongwer was likely on his last batter with the tying run on third base and his team clinging to a 1-0 lead.

Gongwer responded by delivering his 14th strikeout for the game’s final out as the Panthers (12-1, 6-0) beat visiting Plymouth (8-4, 4-2) by that 1-0 count Friday, April 28 in Northern Lakes Conference play at Bob Riley Stadium.

The Pilgrims collected four singles — none coming after the fourth inning. Plymouth’s Grant Stukenborg drew a lead-off walk to lead off the top of the seventh frame. Pinch runner Colten Schuller moved to second base on a balk and third on a passed ball before Gongwer put the game away with his 113th pitch.

“He’s been improving every time he comes out on the mound,” NorthWood coach Jay Sheets said of Gongwer. “Last year, he didn’t get a ton of starts. He was more of a reliever. This year is just night and day, his ability to locate, his ability to change his pitches. He’s worked very, very hard in the off-season and (assistant) coach (Todd) Cleveland’s been working with him a lot. The mental aspect of the game, he’s improved on big time.”

Since Gongwer was so close to the threshold of the new pitch count rule (120), Sheets said he would have gone to a reliever had allowed another runner.

“He kept saying his arm was good and he wanted this game bad,” Sheets said. “He had his mind made up this was his game.”

Vincent Hershberger’s two-out double to right field in the first inning plated Brant Mast (one-out single to center) with the game’s lone run against Plymouth sophomore right-hander Jesus Luna (4 innings, 1 run, 7 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts), who was making his first NLC start. Right-hander Cam Dennie (2 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts) finished on the mound for the visitors.

Pilgrims coach Ryan Wolfe also complimented Gongwer’s performance.

“His ball had a lot of run to it,” Wolfe said. “Especially in on out righties. We hit a lot of balls off the handle and it’s a credit to him. We just didn’t square pitches up which we have been doing against other pitchers.”

Wolfe saw Gongwer be effective with a change his arm angle a few times.

“He’s go three quarters and then he’d come down a little bit with downward action,” Wolfe said. “Give him credit. He did a good job of throwing a curve ball early in the count on a lot of our guys and got ahead with it.”

Plymouth stranded four runners in scoring position (second base in the first inning, second and third in the third and third in the seventh). 

Both teams turned a double play. 

Noah Pesak popped to NorthWood first baseman Matt Dutkowski who fired to shortstop Travis Stephens to double off a Pilgrim runner.

The twin killing by Plymouth also came in the third — second baseman Pesak to shortstop Dennie to first baseman Ezra Winkle.

NorthWood left runners at second base in the second, third and fifth stanzas and made the third out at home plate in the fourth when Dutkowski (on with a lead-off double to right field) was gunned down at the plate — shortstop Dennie to catcher Dyllon Pavey.

Bremen visits NorthWood at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 29, and Northridge goes to Plymouth at 5:10 p.m.Monday, May 1.