By James Costello Sports Writer
PLYMOUTH — Plymouth Pilgrims baseball head coach Tony Plothow knew his team would have its work cut out for it in Saturday’s match-up against Class 4A No. 1 Crown Point.
The Pilgrims held tough for two innings or so of Plymouth’s tournament opener, but the Bulldogs stretched eight runs out of six hits — including a pair of two-RBI doubles — as Crown Point batted around the order in the top of the third, and Plymouth was ultimately dimed 13-0 after five innings  at Bill Nixon Field.

“Well, they’re the number one team in the state,” said Plothow. “I  knew coming in we had to play a perfect game, so we had a tough road to hoe... To give up 13 hits and back it up with four errors, you’re not going to beat a lesser team, let alone them. We were just outmatched today.”
Jay Badell fanned the Bulldogs’ leadoff hitter, but not a lot went right for the Pilgrims junior hurler afterward, as Crown Point racked up seven hits and seven runs — three unearned — in fewer than three innings on the mound.
The Bulldogs opened the game with two runs in each of the first two frames to jump off to a 4-0 lead heading into their prolific third inning.
Paul Aulwurm lined to right in the first inning, and Badell walked the next batter to set the stage for a two-base knock by Crown Point shortstop Mike Kozlowski that drove both runners in when Plymouth’s Chris Spoor erred on a line drive out in center field.
The Pilgrims escaped the inning without too much damage, however, as the next two Crown Point batters hit into fielder’s choices at short, and Brandon Elliott recorded a pair of put-outs, the first of which came on a rundown of Kozlowski at third.
Kozlowsi also recorded one of two Crown Point homers at the game with a three-run shot well over the center-field fence in the top of the third. Teammate Blake Mascarello hit a solo shot over center to open the top of the second, and Aulwurm batted in Bulldogs pitcher Eric Clayton after Clayton reached on a fielder’s choice later in the inning. Badell kept his composure and retired the side on his second and final strikeout of the day.
He did seem to get shaken some in the next frame with a walk and a hit batter, however, after Kozlowski reached when Ryan Welch couldn’t get a glove on a Damon Howe throw from third to open the frame. Nic Caban took over on the mound after Badell hit Mascarello to load the bases and Crown Point third baseman Miles Atherton doubled to right, driving in two runs as Mark Roberts tried to glove a stopped ball and had to backtrack when he overran it.
Caban got two outs, but Kozlowski came back around for his three-run homer before he could close out the frame.
“We’ve talked all year long about how we’re not capable of giving up extra outs,” said Plothow. “We start out with an error on a pretty routine play, then we give up a walk, get behind batters and then their big sticks come up.”
Caban gave up a run in the fourth, but when the Pilgrims couldn’t score, it was just academic. Evan Skirvin held Crown Point in the fifth with three straight outs.
Plymouth batters scattered seven hits throughout the game, and left seven runners on base. Second baseman Joel Solis singled on a line to left in the first inning, followed by another single by designated hitter Sam Faulstich, and Solis reached again when Atherton bobbled a ball at third in the bottom of the third. Faulstich also reached on a walk — Clayton’s only base on balls of the game — in the third frame. Welch singled to right against Crown Point closer Nick Hladek in the final frame, and eight-hole batter Roberts singled twice for Plymouth in the second and fourth innings Saturday. In an unfortunate twist, he was struck in the ankle by a Badell hit to the 3-4 gap to give Plymouth its third out before the top of the order could come back around in the second inning.
“We didn’t really get a good look at this guy,” said Plothow of Clayton. “I know we had seven hits, but they were scattered. At times it seemed like we needed three hits just to get a run.”
In just his third game back after sitting out briefly with an injury to his throwing arm, Nick Neidlinger recorded the Pilgrims only extra-base hit with a double to center of his first pitch in the fourth inning. Roberts backed him up with a hit, but both were left on.
“”It’s good to see him turn on a ball,” Plothow said of Neidlinger. “I hope it’s a sign of things to come. We have five games next week, so we’ll see what happens.”
• CROWN POINT 13,
  PLYMOUTH 0, 5 innings
At Plymouth
CP: 2 2 8   1 0 — 13  13  1
P:    0 0 0   0 0 —   0    7   4
Jay Badell (L), Nic Caban (3), Evan Skirvin (5) and Cody Bucher. Eric Clayton (W), Josh Negele (5) and Nick Hladek, Matt Zurbriggen (3).
2B:  Nick Neidlinger (P), Miles Atherton (CP), Blake Mascarello (CP), Paul Aulwurm (CP).
HR: Mascarello, Mike Kozlowski (CP).
Records: Crown Point 15-1; Plymouth 5-8.