The La Porte baseball team traveled to Valparaiso Tuesday afternoon to battle the Vikings for second place in the DAC. Both teams came in with 9-3 conference records, trailing only 12-0 Lake Central. The Slicers had seven hits and put runners on base in five of the seven innings. Valpo had three base runners the entire game on two walks and a bunt single but came away with a 1-0 win.
RJ Anglin and Valpo’s talented lefty Caden Crowell hooked up in an epic pitchers' dual. Anglin pitched six innings allowing one run and one hit, a bunt single. He struck out 10 and walked two. Crowell fanned eleven Slicers, walked none and allowed seven hits in the shutout.
Anglin retired the first eight hitters he faced and allowed only one base runner through four innings. The Slicers got a two out single from Anglin the first and a two out double by Ben Dubbs in third. Dubbs moved to third on a balk but was stranded there when Crowell retired Kade Flores on strikes.
The fifth inning decided the game.
Tommy Samuelson led off the top of the fifth with a solid single to center. Keli Hay hit a hard ground ball that brought Valpo shortstop DJ Malloy right to second base and the Vikings turned a 6-3 double play. Jax Land then ripped a two out double to deep left center and moved to third on Kai Jones’ infield hit. Dubbs hit the ball hard to the outfield but Valpo center fielder Miles Cvelbar made a nice running catch to end the inning.
Valpo scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Ian Wilson drew a walk to lead the inning off. He moved to second on a wild pitch. Cvelbar laid a bunt down on the right side of the infield that neither Anglin nor first baseman Samuelson could field putting Vikings on first and third with no outs. Valpo first baseman Trevor Fenters hit a long sacrifice fly to left, driving in Wilson for the game’s only score.
The Slicers got a two out double from Drew Catron in sixth but came up empty. In the seventh Samuelson led off with his second single of the game. After Hay struck out and Land lined out to right, Samuelson stole second and later advanced to third on a wild pitch. With Samuelson at third and two outs Jones was called out on a very borderline 2-2 pitch to end the game.
Anglin and Samuelson were named co-Salisbury and Spence Edward Jones Players of the game. Anglin had a hit along with this outstanding mound work. Samuelson was 2-3 with a stolen base. Both teams played errorless baseball.
La Porte can finish the season in a tie for second with a win over the Vikings Wednesday at Schreiber Field. First pitch scheduled for 5:00 PM.
