1 week Ago By By MIKE THOMAS Herald-Whig Sports Editor [email protected]
MENDON, Ill. -- Momentum swung back and forth like the wind howled during the first two innings of Monday's baseball matchup between the Unity Mustangs and the Pittsfield Saukees. The Saukees took control during the top of the third inning, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring six runs off of five hits and two walks.
"We just started putting the ball in play like Coach (Zach Ferguson) told us to do, and we started running the base well," said Pittsfield left fielder/pitcher Carter Frazier about the Saukees six-run top of the third outburst. Pittsfield took a five-run lead going into the bottom of the third and never trailed again, defeating Unity 12-5. As a team, Pittsfield combined for 13 hits and five walks.
"We're an overall dominant hitting team," said Pittsfield second baseman Kaden Ferguson. "We put the ball in play and we're move guys over. We just got to get people on base and we'll score runs.
" Pittsfield has continued to have Unity's number, winning the past five matchups with the Mustangs not defeating the Saukees since 2019. "They just kept putting the ball in play and just scrapping out at bats," said Unity head coach Tyler McAllister. "That's one thing that's not surprising about Pittsfield.
They have always been able to hit the seven years I've been here. They can always swing it really well." The Saukees also capitalized from Unity mistakes, with the Mustangs committing four errors.
"We always try to capitalize on mistakes," said Harris. "We just got a lot of hits racked up and just kept going through our lineup." Harris was the starting pitcher for the Saukees on Monday, lasting only 1.
1 innings with no strikeouts and allowing four walks, three hits and three earned runs. "I wasn't pitching very well today," said Harris. "It really wasn't my day.
It was cold and this is the first game I've pitched this cold. Unity is a pretty good team." Frazier came in relief to stabilize the Saukees, earning the win after pitching 3.
2 innings with two strikeouts and allowing two walks, four hits and one earned run. "(My approach was) to throw strikes and let the defense work," said Frazier. "I did everything I could.
" Hayden Gratton pitched two scoreless innings in relief with two strikeouts to close out the game for Pittsfield. The Mustangs went with Simon Rabe to start the game and he went two-plus innings with one strikeout, while allowing two walks, nine hits and five earned runs to get tagged with the loss. "It was probably one of the colder games of the year," said Rabe.
"Whenever I'm on the mound, I kind of like to warm up because I'm kind of amped up. It was definitely hard to grip the ball. Sometimes in the cold, it gets kind of hard and it definitely wasn't the best pitching conditions.
" Brym Parrish came in to pitch three innings in relief for Unity with two strikeouts, while allowing one walk, two hits and one earned run. Jayce Huntley pitched two innings in relief with one strikeout and allowed one walk, two hits and one earned run. Unity held a brief lead after an inning of play and tied the game in the bottom of the second before Pittsfield's eruption in the top of the third.
"It's always tough when you give up a crooked number like that," said McAllister. "It's never good. We had opportunities throughout the game and we made a couple of errors that turned it from a four-run game to a seven-run game real quick.
" Unity stranded 12 runners on base and left the bases loaded in three different innings. "Sometimes the ball doesn't go your way," said Rabe. "I'm going to try to learn from that situation and try to come through more during clutch situations because I live for clutch situations.
That's when I love to hit the most." Rabe drew two walks and scored one run. Skylar Goudschaal went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Sawyer Allen drew three walks and scored two runs.
Unity leadoff hitter Avery Frese went 4-for-5 with a double and a run. "Finally good to get him back on track," said McAllister. "He's been kind of down a little bit.
I've always known that's there with Avery." Gratton went 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, two RBIs two stolen bases and a run, while Tim Hull went 1-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs. Luke Saxe went 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI.
It was the bottom third of the lineup that really came through for the Saukees with Ferguson going 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs, two stolen bases and two runs. Frazier went 2-for-5 with a run, RBI and an stolen base, while Harris went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs and a stolen base. "Fastball heavy, that's all I was looking for," said Harris.
"I think fastball first and I react to off-speed pitches. That's what I did today. When I saw a fastball, I tried to hit it.
" Up next for Pittsfield (8-1) is road games against Calhoun (5-0) on Tuesday and Beardstown (3-2) on Wednesday, both 4:30 p.m. starts.
The Saukees will close out the week with a road game against Camp Point Central (3-5) at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
"We got Calhoun tomorrow and they're going to be a tough team," said Ferguson. "Then we got Camp Point later this week, so we got some ball to play." Up next for Unity (4-3) is home games against Canton (3-1) on Tuesday and Liberty (5-2) on Wednesday, both 4:30 p.
m. starts. The Mustangs will close out the week with a road game against Camp Point Central (3-5) at 4:30 p.
m. on Friday. "We've got four games in five days, starting today," said McAllister.
"So the nice part about baseball is the quick turnaround, especially in high school. We got Canton tomorrow. We didn't end up playing them last year, but it will be nice to turn around at home again.
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