PBR Spotlight Game: Ann Arbor Pioneer vs Ann Arbor Skyline

Baseball has a funny way of equalizing the playing field based on one player: the pitcher.  Everyone knows that good pitching beats good hitting any day of the week. Yesterday was no exception.  The matchup featured two very different pitchers but with very similar results.   

Ann Arbor Pioneer sent Rob Zenas, class of 2012, to the mound.  Zenas, a 6-foot-5 righthanded pitcher, featured a fastball that sat 85-87 MPH.  Conversely, Nick Sponseller from Ann Arbor Skyline stands at 5-foot-9 and his fastball sat 71-73 MPH.  Both pitchers kept their opponents off balance all day and pitched out of a few jams. Both pitchers threw complete games. But in close ball games small mistakes can make a team pay the price.

With the scored tied at 0-0 through regulation extra innings ensued. The bottom of the eighth started with a Travis Maezes bunt which was mishandled and allowed him to reach second base on the error.  After an intentional walk and an error, the bases were loaded.  Pioneer sophomore Dan Olsen lifted a sac fly in the outfield scoring Maezes from third.  That was the ballgame.  A pitchers duel to the end with a final of 1-0 and Pioneer advancing.

Pioneer will take on Ann Arbor Huron in the next round of the playoffs.