LINDEN – Coach Matt Voorhees said one word in his postgame talk he wants to resonate.
Compete.
Frankfort took advantage of three North Montgomery errors to score a pair of unearned runs in a 2-1 Sagamore Athletic Conference victory over the host Chargers Tuesday evening.
While the defensive effort was uncharacteristic, Voorhees wanted to see more from his hitters.
“I know the errors, that’s how they scored their runs,” Voorhees said. “But I thought tonight we were just really soft at the plate, that we just didn’t compete. No discredit to (Frankfort pitcher Jose) Lopez. He pitched well, kept us on our heels. He got the down call, stayed there and that’s a tough pitch to hit. I just felt like we were grasping at hoping we didn’t strike out rather than competing at the plate.”
North (9-6, 5-1 SAC) still remains on top of the conference standings thanks to a Lebanon come from behind victory over Tri-West. Voorhees knows to stay there some changes need to happen.
“Guys have to step up to the plate with runners on, want to be in that position and put the ball in play to score some runs. If they’re getting that low strike, that’s fine. We have to hit it into the (right side) gap. We’re not adjusting to putting the ball over there.”
The game was scoreless until the fourth inning. Frankfort shortstop and number two hitter Carlos Lopez reached on a Roman Utterback error. After two were out senior Quentcy Perry doubled to right center to score Lopez.
Two innings later the Chargers committed back to back errors on the left side of the infield. A sacrifice bunt and a Perry ground out later Carlos Lopez scored again for a 2-0 advantage for the Hot Dogs (7-5, 4-2). North’s infield played back and took the out over cutting the runner down at home.
“The way we’ve been hitting the ball, save the last two games, we’re never going to panic over two runs. We’re going to take our out at that point, Cade’s not going to give up a lot of runs regardless and we have the confidence in our guys at the plate.”
North had two on and one out in the fourth, but could not push a run across.
The Chargers tried to rally in the last of the seventh. Utterback singled and was balked to second. With two outs junior Ross Dyson singled him in. But a strike out ended the game.
“I pointed at Ross Dyson. I feel like being an a-typical two hole hitter he steps to the plate and battles. He works that count and got the nice hit to score Roman. That’s what I want to see from all my players is to have that tenacity.”
Cade Cole pitched well again for North, going the distance without an earned run and only two hits. He struck out six and only allowed one walk.
The Chargers had six hits with leadoff hitter Jarrod Kirsch gathering two of those. Senior catcher Dylan Braun was on base three times, including one hit.
Lopez went the distance on the mound for Frankfort, He scattered six hits, fanned eight and walked two.
The same two teams square off Wednesday at Frankfort.
“We want to be a championship team, but sometimes we don’t act like a championship team. Those are the things we need to realize and grow. We have the confidence to do that.”
