Reapers capitalize on miscues

Plano's Jake Wade (left) follows the flight of his home run during the Reapers' 4-2 win over Sandwich on Monday.
(Heather Eidson/Staff Photographer)

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PLANO -- Five runs scoring without a hit. Pitchers talking about pitching "angry." Coaches coaxing intensity and big-game performances out of their players. Everyone holding their breath on the last swing of the game.

Monday was just another "typical" contest between Plano and Sandwich, with the Reapers edging out the Indians 4-2 this time.

Plano starting pitcher Alex Ramirez retired the first two batters in the top of seventh. But laboring through more than 100 pitches, fatigue was setting in.

"I didn't want to know where he was with the pitch count," coach D.J. Cocks said. "I wanted him to go finish what he started. He did a phenomenal for us out there."

Following the two outs was a walk, and the Indians had their lineup turning over with the tying run at the plate.

Jake Wegener's final swing made solid contact, sending the ball to deep left field. Sandwich coach Derek Avery said he thought it would leave the yard. But Reapers left-fielder Johnny Mendez turned his back to the plate and sprinted after the line drive.

"I turned around and started running back and looked over my shoulder," he said. "It just kind of landed in my glove."The Reapers' lead was established in the bottom of the first on a rough start for the Indians. Sandwich pitcher Jordan Davis walked the bases loaded.

"It is the same problem we have had all year," Avery said. "We don't throw strikes when we need to."

If the control issues were not enough to get Avery fired up, a passed ball followed by an error that led to two runs was.

"We hurt ourselves on a passed ball on a called strike," he said. "We throw it away and we don't have our guy backing it up that needed to be backing it up."

Plano added one more in the first, as all three walks to start the game came across to score. Keeping to the rivalry's tradition, however, the Indians and Davis settled in and kept the game close after the first inning.

"I couldn't throw strikes but then I got angry and rocked and fired," Davis said.

He went on to compile two statistically rare innings: getting through the fifth on three pitches and striking out all three he faced in the third. He held down the Reapers until the sixth, when Jake Wade took a 3-0 offering over the fence in center to give Plano a two-run cushion.

Sandwich got two runs in the top of the fifth on a passed ball and a squeeze play. Baseball: Plano 4, Sandwich 2