The Kokomo Post Sports - Game of the Week: Plymouth Post 27 Diamond Spyders vs Post 6 Sixers(Photo Gallery)
The Kokomo Post 6 Sixers couldn’t overcome pitching struggles and defensive miscues Tuesday night, falling 17-5 to the Plymouth Post 27 Diamond Spyders in their final home game of the season at CFD Investments Stadium at Highland Park.
Kokomo starter Perry Kochensparger opened strong, striking out the first two batters of the game before giving up a single to Hunter Dippon. He escaped the inning unscathed with a groundout to first, and Kokomo nearly struck first in the bottom of the frame before a runner was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice.
Plymouth broke the game open in the second inning, scoring seven runs on two Kokomo pitchers. Kochensparger walked three batters and allowed two hits before exiting without recording an out in the inning. Kaison Hipsher-Walker entered in relief and struck out two, but walked three, gave up one hit and allowed four more runs as the Diamond Spyders built a 7-0 lead.
Kokomo got on the board in the bottom of the second when Teegan Helmle scored after drawing a walk. Post 6 added three more runs in the fourth inning, cutting into the deficit. Trey Beachy scored on a Nate Cherry RBI single, Hudson McKinney crossed the plate on a Jake Cherry base hit, and Nate Cherry later scored on a balk to make it a 7-4 game heading into the fifth.
But the momentum didn’t last long.
Plymouth responded immediately, loading the bases with a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch to open the fifth. Another pitching change brought in Brighton Harris, but the Diamond Spyders struck for seven more runs in the inning behind three hits, three walks and two more hit batters.
Kokomo was unable to rally in the late innings, and Plymouth added three more runs in the seventh to cap off the night.
“We’re not going to beat anybody when we’re giving so many free bases,” Post 6 head coach Nate Hemmerich said following the loss.
The Sixers return to action Saturday for a road doubleheader in Napoleon, Ohio.
