MICHIGAN CITY — The Plymouth softball team went 2-1 to win the Michigan City Invitational Tournament Saturday.
The Lady Pilgrims won the tournament on a runs scored tiebreaker as Plymouth, Bethany Christian and Michigan City all went 2-1 in the round-robin format. Plymouth started the day by defeating Bethany Christian 6-1 then lost an eight-inning battle with Michigan City by a 3-2 count. Plymouth ended their day by pounding Gary Wallace 27-0. Bethany Christian’s 6-3 victory over Michigan City in the final game of the day set up the tiebreaker scenario under which the Lady Pilgrims came out on top, having scored the most and also allowed the fewest runs on the day.

In the opener against Bethany Christian, Plymouth quickly fell behind 1-0 in the first, giving up an unearned run on a pair of errors and a bloop single. Plymouth pitcher Ashleah Wheat put it behind her though, not allowing another Bruin baserunner until a leadoff walk in the sixth, retiring 14 in a row in that stretch.
Offensively, Plymouth initially had some trouble getting to Bethany pitcher Chelsea Noble, only managing three hits through the first four innings. The Lady Pilgrims did manage to tie the game in the third without a hit, however, as Erin Galt reached on an error and after being sacrificed to second, came around to score when the Bruins threw away Mary Byelick’s infield grounder.
In the fifth, Plymouth finally took the lead, scoring three runs on just two hits. With one out, Kaitlyn Bottorff singled and came around to score when the Bruins threw away another play at first, this time on a dropped third strike which allowed Byelick to get to second. Byelick would then score on Alesha Day’s base hit. Day later scored on a wild pitch to give Plymouth a 4-1 lead. Plymouth would pick up two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh with four hits, including a triple by Marissa Sullivan and a double by Emilee Keilman.
After the first inning run, Wheat controlled the game from the circle for the Lady Pilgrims. The junior ended up with a one-hitter, allowing just the bloop single in the first while striking out seven and walking one. The Bruins only managed two balls out of the infield in the game. Sullivan and Lyzz Smith each had a pair of hits as eight of the nine Plymouth hitters had at least one hit, and the one starter not credited with a hit, Byelick, reached base three times on Bethany errors.
The game between Plymouth and the hosts from Michigan City was clearly the most competitive of the day. Plymouth took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Day singled with one out and was driven in on a two-out double by Smith. The Wolves got the run right back in the bottom of the inning, however, using a leadoff bunt single, a stolen base and a blooper into short left field to tie the game.
The Day-Smith combination would also produce Plymouth’s second run of the game in the third. With two out, Day and Sullivan drew consecutive walks before Smith dumped a fly ball into short left-center field to score Day. Again, however, the lead was short-lived as Michigan City got the run back in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of a Plymouth mistake on a rundown to tie the game again.
After the Wolves tied the score, Plymouth pitcher Sullivan kept Michigan City off the bases all the way through the end of regulation, retiring 14 hitters in a row. In that time, though, Plymouth could not capitalize on two good scoring opportunities. In the fourth, Kelsey Hartman singled and Galt reached on an error to put runners at first and second with one out, but a fielder’s choice on a sacrifice attempt and a groundout ended the threat. Plymouth had an even better opportunity in the sixth as Riley Repp singled and Keilman walked to start the inning. However, another fielder’s choice on a sacrifice attempt and a strikeout left runners at first and second with two outs. After Bottorff reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases, Byelick ripped a shot that appeared headed up the middle to score a pair, but the Wolves’ shortstop made a diving stab on the hard liner to end the inning and deny Plymouth the lead.
In the extra frame, Plymouth had another chance to score as Keilman singled and was sacrificed to second, but again the Lady Pilgrims could not come up with the timely hit. In the bottom of the inning though, the Wolves won it with a run manufactured in almost identical fashion as the one in the first, using a leadoff walk, a stolen base, and another bloop over a drawn-in infield to score the run.
Sullivan worked all eight innings, striking out four and walking three in taking the loss.
Plymouth used four players from the JV against severely outmatched Gary Wallace. Wheat, Sullivan, Keilman, Hannah Relos and Lauren Kelso all had two hits. Jordan Scott had a double and Tiffany Buchanan had the other Plymouth hit as the Lady Pilgrims also took 15 walks. Buchanan was the winning pitcher, allowing one hit.
Plymouth sits at 4-4 heading into conference play today at Elkhart Memorial.
• MICHIGAN CITY SOFTBALL INVITATIONAL
At Michigan City
Plymouth 27, Gary Wallace 0
Plymouth:    27 12 0
Gary Wallace:    0 1 4
Tiffany Buchanan (W) and Emilee Keilman
2B: Keilman, Marissa Sullivan (P), Hannah Relos (P), Jordan Scott (P)
3B: Ashleah Wheat (P)
Records: Plymouth 4-4
Game two
Michigan City 3, Plymouth 2 (eight innings)
Plymouth: 101 000 00 — 2 6 0
Michigan City: 101 000 01 — 3 6 1
Marissa Sullivan (L) and Emilee Keilman
Webb (W) and Brinkman
2B: Lyzz Smith (P)
Records: Plymouth 3-4
Game one
Plymouth 6, Bethany Christian 1
Plymouth: 001 0 302 — 6 10 2
Bethany: 100 000 0 — 1 1 4
Ashleah Wheat (W) and Emilee Keilman; Chelsea Noble (L) and Ali Hochstetler
2B: Keilman, Riley Repp (P), Lyzz Smith (P)
3B: Marissa Sullivan (P)
Records: Plymouth 3-3, Bethany Christian 1-4