EXTRA DRAMA: Plymouth outlasts Salem, 1-0, in 8-inning thriller
Plymouth pitcher Skylar Weil scattered six hits across eight shutout innings in the Wildcats’ 1-0 victory over Salem Wednesday afternoon.
Fittingly, Wednesday afternoon’s drama-filled softball game between Plymouth and host Salem concluded with a bang-bang play at second base with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
With the Wildcats clinging to a 1-0 lead after manufacturing a run in the top of the eighth, automatic runner Taylor Bond (who started at second base to open the frame) was sacrificed to third on a perfect bunt by Erin Torok.
Plymouth pitcher Skylar Weil then intentionally walked the next two Rock hitters — Mikayla Roberts and Shannon McAuliffe — to set up a force at every base.
Weil struck out the next batter looking before Charlie Lindstrom’s hard ground ball was gobbled up by Wildcat second baseman Hannah Simko, who flipped the ball to shortstop Emma McAvoy at second base to get the force on McAuliffe, who slid into the base a half-second too late.
One was enough
The only run in the well-played game came in the top of the eighth when Plymouth automatic runner Vanessa Nissen advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored one batter later when a pitch eluded Salem’s catcher.
McAuliffe was brilliant in a losing cause for Salem, limiting Plymouth to three hits — two off the bat of Bowling Green commit Simko — while striking out 21 Wildcats.
The defensive play of the game for the Wildcats was turned in by left-fielder Sylvia Ditmar, who chased down a deep drive by McAuliffe near the warning track.
Salem put runners on second and third with two outs in the third, but Weil escaped the jam by striking out the Rocks’ No. 8 hitter.
Hits were scarce
Lindstrom and Torok both ripped two hits each for Salem.
Mia Amore recorded the only hit for Plymouth other than Simko’s pair of singles.
Weil fanned six Rocks, who scattered six hits.
Salem (25-6-1-) won the nightcap, 7-6, to claim the P-CEP championship.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
