By Steve Krah
PBR Indiana Correspondent

SOUTH BEND — One game featured very effective pitching performance. The other was full of twists and turns. 

Plymouth and Mishawaka were semifinal winners Saturday, May 28 at the Class 4A South Bend Clay Sectional baseball tournament. 

Bolstered by senior right-hander Braydon Davdison, the Pilgrims beat South Bend Riley 6-1. 

In a game featuring 18 hits, including a fourth-inning grand slam by Caveman freshman Nick Bodle, Mishawaka held off a late comeback in edging LaPorte 10-9. 

The sectional championship — Plymouth (19-10) vs. Mishawaka (12-16) — is slated for 7 p.m.Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day) at Clay Field. 

The last sectional title for the Pilgrims came in 2006 (3A). It’s been since 1997 that the Cavemen hoisted the trophy. 

Plymouth 6, SB Riley 1 

Davidson (9-2; 7 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk) kept the Wildcats guessing in helping his team move into the sectional final. 

Even Pilgrims junior catcher Dyllon Pavey struggled getting to Davidson’s slider — a pitch he added to his repertoire just this past week. 

“He hadn’t really worked with me on catching it. He said he had trouble seeing the ball and catching it because it had a lot of movement.” 

Plymouth coach Ryan Wolfe said Davidson was effective throwing his breaking ball and change-up more than his fastball. 

“Sometimes we get in trouble doing that, but that is something he can do,” Wolfe said. “What’s made him a great pitcher is being able to throw three — maybe four — pitches for strikes. We don’t have to have a hitter sitting on a fastball when they’re up in the count.” 

Riley coach Greg Harris said his team had a hard time getting Davidson out of his rhythm. 

“He started us off a lot of times with a strike right away,” Harris said. “He kept us off-balance the whole time. 

“You’re not locked and focused enough to get it done when you have just four hits and three errors. It makes it tough to beat a team.” 

Plymouth scored one run in the top of the first inning. 

Freshman Cam Dennie singled to right field, moved to second base on Davidson’s single to left. After a walk to senior Spencer Maecroft loaded the bases, Dennie trotted home on a wild pitch.  

The Pilgrims left runners at second and third. 

Plymouth scored one run in the top of the second inning. 

The Pilgrims loaded the bases with one out for the second straight frame.  

Junior Nate Nixon led off with a walk, moved to second on groundout by senior Jeremy Splix and scored on a double to center by Dennie. While trying to score on the play, sophomore Benji Nixon was thrown out at the plate.  

Plymouth left runners at second and third. 

“We were hoping for more in those first two innings with the bases loaded,” Wolfe said. “But we hit the ball well (for the game) and that’s what we wanted to do. We jumped on them early. Our goal every game is to get off to a good start and knock the starter out.” 

Riley (10-14) pulled to within 2-1 with one run in the bottom of the second inning. 

Junior Ricky Davila socked a lead-off double to center, moved to third on senior Zack Overton’s single to right and scored on a Plymouth error.  

The Wildcats stranded a runner at second. 

Riley threatened in the bottom of the third inning while Plymouth right-hander Davidson recorded four strikeouts. 

After the righty fanned the first batter in the frame, a dropped third strike and a hit batsman allowed the Wildcats to get two baserunners. Davidson used a breaking ball to close out the inning with two more K’s. 

The Pilgrims took a 3-1 lead by scoring one run in the top of the fourth inning. 

After two quick outs, senior Caleb Mikesell belted a full-count pitch over the left field fence for solo home run.

Riley stranded a runner in a scoreless bottom of the fourth inning. senior Bryce Wieczorek drew a lead-off walk, moved to second on Overton’s sacrifice bunt and to third on junior Nic Jerue’s groundout, but no further.

Plymouth earned a 4-1 advantage with one run in the top of the fifth inning.

Davidson led off with a walk, moved to second on an errant pick-off throw and then to third on a passed ball.

With two outs, Pavey beat out a slow roller to third base to plate Davidson. 

Riley stranded two runners — senior Ty Richard (on by fielder’s choice) and sophomore Gibson Luuga (on by walk) — during a scoreless bottom of the fifth inning.

Wildcats senior right-hander Chad Brambert (1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 strikeouts, 0 walks) relieved right-hander Overton (5 innings, 4 runs, 6 hits, 6 strikeouts, 4 walks) for Riley as the Pilgrims came to bat in the top of the sixth inning.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Mikesell reached on an error and stole second for Plymouth, but was left there during a scoreless stanza.

A dropped strike allowed the Wildcats’ Wieczorek to reach base to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning. An error allowed him to move to third and that’s where he was when the frame ended.

The Pilgrims tallied two unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning for a 6-1 lead.

Freshman pinch-hitter Ezra Winkle reached base on a two-base error while two Pilgrims — junior Colten Schuler (running for Davidson who singled to left) and freshman Cole Filson (running for Maecroft who walked) — crossed the plate.

Riley senior right-hander Mason Kendall (1 inning, 2 runs, 1 hit, 1 strikeout, 1 walk) relieved Brambert to open the top of the seventh inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Davidson sandwiched two strikeouts around a double by Richard, a hit batsman and flyball out.

Mishawaka 10, LaPorte 9

The Cavemen built a 8-3 lead through five innings then held off the hard-charging Slicers, which scored six of its runs in its final two at-bats.

“I need to take some Tums or something for heartburn right now,” Mishawaka coach John Huemmer said of the nervous moments before his team locked down the victory. “It was very nerve-racking with pitchers getting out of their groove and their focus of throwing strikes.”

Five LaPorte pitchers yielded 10 hits, seven walks and three hit batsmen.

“Typically, we don’t struggled on the mound,” Slicers coach Scott Upp said. “Today, we did and (Mishawaka) took advantage of it.”

LaPorte (19-9) scored two unearned runs in the top of the first inning.

After two quick outs, senior Brogan Briggs walked, moved to third on senior Travis Upp’s single to center and scored on an errant pick-off throw.

Upp scored on a triple to center by junior Jon Williams.

The first two Mishawaka batters reached base in the bottom of the first inning.

Junior lead-off man Luke Shivley reached on an error and was then picked off first by LaPorte senior right-hander Nick Willoughby.

Junior Ryan Wroblewski, the No. 2 hitter, walked. But he was doubled off on a fly ball to senior left fielder Tanner Hill  to sophomore second baseman Caleb Rettinger to end the frame.

The Slicers were retired in order in the second inning.

Mishawaka tied the score at 2-2 with two runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Senior Sam Eggleston smacked a one-out RBI single to right, plating Bodle (on base with a one-out single to left).

Junior Lucas Campbell’s sacrifice fly to left scored senior Bryson Stutesman (on base by single to center and advanced to third on Eggleston’s single to right).

LaPorte senior Jordan Fadke drew a one-out walk and was picked off first base by right-hander Shively (5 2/3 innings, 5 runs, 7 hits, 1 strikeout, 5 walks) in a scoreless bottom of the third inning.

Mishawaka went ahead 4-2 with two runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Shively was hit by a pitch to lead off the stanza, moved to second on a Wroblewski groundout then third on a passed ball before scoring the go-ahead run on senior Sam Fry’s single to center.

With a 2-0 count on senior Hunter Martsolf, Willoughby (2 1/3 innings, 3 runs, 4 hits, 1 strikeout, 2 walks) was removed from the mound in favor of junior left-hander Andy Samuelson (2/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 strikeouts, 1 walk).

Samuelson finished walking Martsolf (credited to Willoughby). A sacrifice but by Bodle pushed Fry to third and scored on a wild pitch.

After the Cavemen loaded the bases, left-hander Briggs (1 inning, 4 runs, 1 hit, 0 strikeouts, 3 walks) relieved an induced an inning-ending groundout on his first pitch as the Cavemen stranded three runners.

LaPorte pulled to within 4-3 with one run in the top of the fourth inning.

Samuelson lashed a run-scoring single to right, knocking in Travis Upp (on by lead-off single to center and advanced to third on Hill’s single to center).

The Slicers left the bases loaded as Shively recorded a strikeout and coaxed a groundout to end the rally.

Mishawaka racked up four runs bottom of the fourth inning on Bodle’s grand slam to take an 8-3 lead.

Turning on what Huemmer said was an inside fastball, Bodle took a 3-2 pitch from Briggs to hit the foul pole just above the 311-foot sign in left field to score Shively (on by walk), Fry (on by walk) and junior Vernon Daniels (running for Martsolf who was hit by a pitch).

“What a nice job of him staying focused, turning on a ball and keeping his front shoulder down,” Huemmer said. “He hit the ball hard.”

With two outs, senior right-hander Jake Watterson (1 1/3 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits, 0 strikeouts, 0 walks) relieved Briggs and retired the first batter he saw to end the inning. 

LaPorte left one runner — Travis Upp (on by two-out walk) — in a scoreless top of the fifth inning.

Mishawaka went ahead 10-3 with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

RBI singles were produced by junior Joe Howe (plating Campbell who single, stole second and moved to third on an error) and Fry (knocking in junior Joe Howe).

LaPorte scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning with Fadke (walk) and Briggs (hit by pitch) getting the RBIs and helping the Slicers cut the gap to 10-5. 

The runs were scored by Hill and Samuelson (both on base after being hit by a pitch). Sophomore right-hander Dylan Hall (1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 strikeouts, 0 walks) relieved Shively and got the third out of the inning.

LaPorte senior right-hander Myles Jageman (1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 strikeout, 1 walk) walked the lead-off hitter than retired three straight Mishawaka batters in the bottom of the sixth inning.

LaPorte scored four runs in the top of the seventh run, but came up just short.

The Slicers loaded the bases against Hall and the Cavemen went to right-hander Fry (1 inning, 4 runs, 2 hits, 1 strikeout, 3 walks).

A walk to Rettinger forced in Samuelson (on by fielder’s choice) with LaPorte’s sixth run and a walk to Fadke (on by bases-loaded walk) brought in sophomore Drake Vergin (on by infield single) with No. 7.

Briggs hit a full-count pitch from Fry into right field for a two-run single, scoring junior Austin Botsford (running for senior Max Fisher who walked) and Rettinger (who walked) and making the score 10-9.

Travis Upp drew a walk to load the bases, before Fry retired the last batter to end the contest.

The Slicers did not go down without a fight.

“That shows the character of our kids,” Scott Upp said. “They had that never-say-die attitude.”