The Diamond Devils win on a bases loaded hit by a pitch in the bottom of the ninth.

 

The Devils starting pitcher Andrew Pratt got off to a rocky start by walking three out of the first four batters of the game but was able to get out of the inning unscathed.

 

The Devils in the bottom of the inning scored a run when Adam Gregg singled in Brad Mazer from second. The Devils put up three more runs in the third. The Plato pitcher had some trouble finding as he walked three batters in a row. With bases loaded, Matt Duenwald came through with a two run double with Joe scoring on an error.

 

By the fourth inning, Andrew Pratt had settled down and had retired eight of the nine batters he had faced since the first inning. Plato would score three unearned runs in the fourth when the defense committed two errors and had a missed play when the second baseman, playing aggressively, got in the way of the shortstop on a ground ball up the middle. Andrew Pratt pitched through the sixth and was set up for the win.

 

The offense tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth. Andrew Engebretson with two outs in the inning hit a double and came around to score on a base hit by Adam Gregg.

 

With the pitching change in the seventh, Ryan Dwyer pitched a scoreless inning. Mike Rippberger pitched a scoreless eighth inning on four pitches. Craig Hawkinson was going to start the ninth but with only throwing four pitches Mike started the ninth. The ninth did not go as well as the eight as the defense committed a couple of error and combined with two hits, Craig came in to close the door after Plato scored two unearned runs.

 

In the bottom of the ninth, the Devils won it the ugly way when Matt Goodwald was hit by a pitch with base loaded to force in the winning run.