BY J.T. BOHLAND
Special to the Clarkston News
Down five runs after five innings, Clarkston hitters changed strategy.
Center fielder Eric Leichtnam moved to second base, and after throwing more than 100 pitches, Vince Siwicki took the bench and Luke Prudhomme took over on the mound.
The switch paid off, as Prudhomme ended the sixth inning for Troy Athens quickly with no runs. The Red Hawks made their own pitcher adjustment, but weren’t nearly as successful.
The Wolves defined home-field advantage by quickly loading the bases. Prudhomme stepped to the plate and made a big play into center field, giving Clarkston the lead for the first time in the game.
Tension built on the field as Athens quickly watched their lead slip away and a frustrated Athens Assistant Coach Tim Penz was told to leave the field after arguing with the umpire over a controversial Clarkston score. Clarkton scored 10 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for a final score of Clarkston 12, Troy Athens 7.
‘It was a tough inning, but I knew I had the support of my team. I just wanted to keep throwing strikes,? Prudhomme said after the victory.
Starting pitcher Siwicki held Athens to zero runs for the first and second innings. The third inning was Clarkston’s worst, as a combination of good hits from Athens and several errors from Clarkston in the field allowed Athens to score four runs to the Wolves? zero.
On the field, Athens had the early momentum, as they continually had big hits, creating opportunities for them to take a base or score. With Red Hawks leading 5-0 into the fifth inning, an intimidated Clarkston was determined to turn the game around in their favor.
The fifth inning brought hope, as Clarkston put themselves on the scoreboard with two runs due to a sloppy Athens effort on defense on the field. However, Clarkston was not able to hold Athens, and they also scored two more runs, making the score 2-7 into the sixth.
Clarkston went on to lose the second game against Athens in the double header. This week, the varsity boys will go head-to-head against Stoney Creek, Rochester, and Troy, and participate in the N. Manuel Tournament on Saturday, May 16.