By James Costello Sports Writer
PLYMOUTH — Up 5-2 with two outs in the third inning, the forecast looked bright for Plymouth’s baseball team Monday. A three-run Goshen homer over the center field fence changed the complexion for the Pilgrims, however.
The Redskins scored another two with two outs in the fourth inning, and two more with two outs in the sixth. All total, Plymouth gave up seven runs with two outs on the board throughout the evening, and that inability to close frames wound up costing the team a close 9-8 Northern Lakes Conference contest at Bill Nixon Field.

“They scored five runs in the second, it starts on a routine ground ball, and we can’t get the bleeding stopped,” said Plymouth head coach Tony Plothow. “Seven out of the nine runs were scored with two outs, so something’s got to get done that way. Somebody’s got to make a play, make a pitch, and we’re not getting it done.”
“I think the big difference for us was we got some two-out hits tonight, which is something we haven’t been doing,” said Goshen head coach Hal Farmwald. “It made all the difference for us. We scored (seven) runs with two outs, and it made all the difference for us in the ball game.”
The Pilgrims jumped off to a 4-0 lead in the opening frame after Goshen starter Spencer Oversen walked three of Plymouth’s first four batters, and first baseman Ryan Welch doubled to right-center to drive in two runs. Welch was driven home on a subsequent double by second baseman Jay Badell, who pushed a long fly to right. Kyle Thoden reached on a nice bunt down the third base line, but both Thoden and Badell were left on base in the inning.
Badell led the Pilgrims at the plate with three hits including two doubles, along with Brandon Elliott, who singled three times, reached on two walks and scored three times in the leadoff position for Plymouth. Badell, batting seventh in the lineup, never crossed home plate as Thoden’s bunt was one of just two hits produced by the bottom of the Pilgrims order. The only other was a pinch hit by Nic Caban as the Pilgrims tried to rally back down one run in the final frame.
The Redskins went down in order in the second frame despite a single by Brett Hunter, as Hunter was thrown out by Plymouth catcher Cody Bucher trying to steal second. Plymouth added another run courtesy of Elliott in the second frame, as the junior shortstop reached on a line shot single to center, took second on a passed ball, third as Joel Solis flew out to right, and scored on a ground out to short by designated hitter Sam Faulstich. The Pilgrims were unable to score again until the bottom of the sixth, however, with only two hits in the three intervening innings.
Goshen took advantage of the drought, scoring five runs in the third and adding two more in the fourth to go up 7-5 before Plymouth could resuscitate its batting.
Redskins left fielder Drew Doss reached on a grounder to short, and Johnathon Sevison lined to right for a single as the top of the order came up to bat in the top of the third inning. Doss scored on a sacrifice fly to right before Brock Bender took a base on balls, and Bender was driven home on a line drive single to right by shortstop Brett Hunter.
With two on, Plymouth starter Damon Howe fanned the clean-up hitter, but Josh Ortiz evened the score at 5-all with a long home run over the center field fence before Howe could stop the hemorrhaging.
In the fourth inning, Howe fanned the first two batters to put two outs on the board once again. He gave up three straight hits to load the bases, however, and Plothow put Mark Roberts on the mound. Roberts gave up a two-RBI single to right on his third pitch, and Goshen took a 7-5 lead.
“Josh (Ortiz) is a good hitter,” said Farmwald. “We’ve got a couple senior hitters that just haven’t quite gotten on track yet, and Josh is starting to come around a little bit.”
Plymouth returned the favor in the sixth inning, as pinch-hitter Jeremy Renz reached on a walk and Elliott singled on a hard grounder into left field.
Solis flew out, and Faulstich grounded out in the next two at-bats. With two outs and two on, Plothow brought in another pinch hitter, and Evan Skirvin came through for the Pilgrims with a two-RBI line shot to right. Skirvin stole second and was moved to third on a Bucher single. He scored Plymouth’s final run on a wild pitch, but Bucher’s tying run was left on base. With the clutch hit, Skirvin is 5-for-5 pinch-hitting so far this season for the Pilgrims.
“We had some big hits,” said Plothow. “We start out in the first inning with about four or five and didn’t have any hits until the last couple innings. Skirvin came in with a pinch-hit; he’s been doing very well for us in that role. He got us back in it. We had an opportunity to take that game even in the last inning. We’re getting close, but we’ve been close and we haven’t been getting it done.”
In the final frame, Nic Caban singled to left on another pinch-hit for the Pilgrims, and Elliott advanced him with his third single, but Plymouth couldn’t find another hit in the loss.
“Yeah, we’re battling back, I like that,” said Plothow. “Just like we talked about two weeks ago, we’re battling back, but we’re not getting over the hump. There comes a time when close isn’t good enough, and that’s where we’re at. Going through this conference we’re 1-3, so it’s time to turn it around or it’s going to be too late. We’ll have to start figuring some things out for the future.”
Plymouth falls to 3-5, 1-3 in the conference with Monday’s loss, while Goshen improves to 2-5, 1-3 NLC. The Pilgrims play Wawasee on the road Wednesday.

• GOSHEN 9,
PLYMOUTH 8
At Plymouth
G: 0 0 5   2 0 2   0 — 9  10  1
P: 4 1 0   0 0 3   0 — 8  11  4
Damon Howe (L, 1-2), Mark Roberts (4), Joel Solis (6) and Cody Bucher; Spencer Oversen (W), Ethan Hussey (6), Brett Hunter (7) and Johnathon Sevison.
2B: Jay Badell 2 (P), Ryan Welch (P), Cord Schmucker (G)
HR: Josh Ortiz (G)
Records: Plymouth 3-5, 1-3 NLC; Goshen 2-5, 1-3 NLC.