Thursday, October 10, 2024
By Rich Palzewic
Contributing Writer
SUAMICO – The only things warmer than the weather Monday evening were the bat of Cal Casper and the pitching of Ethan Plog.
The juniors helped the Bay Port baseball team turn back Green Bay Southwest in Fox River Classic Conference (FRCC) action, 7-0.
Casper went 4-for-4, including a solo homer, while Plog struck out 11 and allowed only one hit in his five innings of work.
“I was trying to throw strikes early in the count,” the lefty Plog said. “If I was up (in the count), I’d throw a curveball here and there.”
Plog struck out a pair of Southwest batters in each of the first four innings and then struck out the side in the fifth.
“I pitched an inning against Neenah (April 5), but it felt good to get out there and start this game,” Plog said. “It also felt good to play in the warm weather – finally.”
In addition to his four hits, Casper also scored three runs, had two RBI and stole a base.
“We left a few too many guys on base, but that’s the best we’ve hit the ball all season,” Bay Port coach Harvey Knutson said of his team’s 10-hit attack. “Cal works hard, is an amazing teammate and does everything right. It was nice to see him have a great game from his leadoff spot.”
The Pirates plated four in the first on four hits off Southwest pitcher Braxton Murphy.
Casper reached on a single to lead off the game and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Connor LaBar had an RBI single.
After a walk to Cole Bensen, Grant Gill collected an RBI single of his own to make it 2-0.
Craig Kabat then had an RBI single before Charlie Zimmer made it 4-0 on a sacrifice fly.
After Casper made it 5-0 in the second with a one-out homer to left – which was probably aided by a stiff 15 mph wind – the Pirates loaded the bases.
After a strikeout from Murphy for the second out, Kabat hit a deep fly to the left-center gap.
If not for Trojan centerfielder Mason Meyer’s nice running catch to end the inning, Kabat’s blast likely would have cleared the bases.
After Zimmer led off the third with a single and was eventually knocked in by Casper’s second RBI of the game, Bay Port loaded the bases again.
This time, Murphy left the sacks full with a strikeout to end the inning.
