Baseball: Plainfield South’s relentless attack to much for Plainfield North

PLAINFIELD – Plainfield South missed a few opportunities in Friday afternoon’s Southwest Prairie Conference crossover game with Plainfield North.

But the Cougars also gave themselves so many opportunities that they were eventually almost guaranteed to break through, which they did in a 10-2 victory over the rival Tigers.

“We just kept chopping away,” Plainfield South coach Phil Bodine said. “And we had some more opportunities where we I was disappointed that we didn’t get at least one run, but the kids love this game, Plainfield North/Plainfield South, its kind of a big deal for them.”

The game was relatively close throughout until Plainfield South broke away with a five-run sixth inning. And although the Cougars scoring was contained largely to that outburst and a four-run third inning that allowed them to seize control of the game, they were constantly threatening to plate more runs.

Some of that can be credited to the Plainfield South (6-4) approach which saw them work counts and take whatever the Plainfield North pitching staff was willing to give them on a windy day that was no picnic for any ball that was lofted in the air.

“We had a rough day offensively yesterday,” Plainfield South first baseman Daniel McCauley said. “So in BP before the game we were focused on just putting the bat on the ball, hitting the ball up the box. We got a little bit lucky with some defensive mistakes too, but that’s what we were going for.”

McCauley also used that wind to his advantage swatting a three-run homer in that five-run sixth inning. He went 2-for-3 on the day with four RBI.

“I think I got all of it, maybe the wind helped a little bit,” McCauley said with a laugh. “We’ll take those all the time.”

Plainfield South also got a strong pitching performance from Robert Herrera.

Herrera allowed the first two Plainfield North (8-3) batters to reach to start the game, but the proceeded to face just one batter over the minimum over the first five innings of the contest.

He ran into a little trouble in the sixth inning, but reliever Matthew Rogers limited the damage to just one run when he coaxed a bases-loaded double play. At the time, Plainfield South led just 5-1 and a big hit may have changed the complexion of the contest.

But the Cougars added an insurance run in their half of the fifth and added an exclamation point with its sixth-inning offensive explosion.

“It’s a day where as a pitcher, you’re like, “I got the turn today?” with the wind blowing out,” Bodine said. of Herrera. “But that’s where you become a good pitcher, with the wind blowing out, pitching in these kind of elements. It’s a great day to hit and he shut them down and did a real good job.”

Herrera allowed three hits and four walks before giving way to Rogers, who largely got the Cougars out of harm’s way.

He also got a little help from his defensive unit on a day where that could be pretty perilous if allowed.

“We made most of the routine plays,” Bodine said. “And we were fortunate that they didn’t put a lot of balls in the air where it might have made it crazy in the outfield. But that’s what you have to do to beat a good team like them.”

Plainfield North’s David Wick added an RBI double in the seventh part of a two-hit day for the Tigers leadoff hitter. He was the lone Plainfield North play to record multiple hits on the day.