Chieftains on track

Published 1:20 pm Wednesday, April 4, 2007

By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
Playing for the first time in 10 days, the Dowagiac varsity baseball team showed little rust in dusting off visiting Decatur at Rotary Park on Tuesday morning.
The Chieftains scored a pair of 10-run victories against the Raiders to improve to 4-0 on the season.
Dowagiac took the first game 10-0 behind the two-hit pitching of Jake Cox and Jamie Simpson. The Chieftains then completed the sweep with a 12-2 victory.
In the second game, Jason Fryman and Troy Stover combined on a two-hitter.
Dowagiac scored three runs in the bottom of the first to break open the first game. The Chieftains then scored single runs in the second and third innings to increase their advantage to 5-0.
Dowagiac scored five times in the bottom of the fifth to end the contest.
Cox worked four innings, striking out five and walking one. Cox did not allow a hit as he improved to 2-0 on the season. Simpson worked the final two innings, allowing two hits.
Kurtis Northrop took the loss on the hill for the Raiders.
Mike Kasper led the Chieftains with a 2-for-2 performance.
Simpson was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Matt Dodson and Alex Withorn each added singles.
In the second game, the Raiders jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Fryman, who shut down Decatur for the remainder of the contest.
Dowagiac scored a run in the second to cut the lead in half and then tallied five runs in the third inning to seize control.
The Chieftains added a run in the fourth and five more in the fifth to end the game.
Fryman (2-0) worked four innings, allowing one earned run on two hits with five strikeouts.
Stover worked the final inning, striking out one.
Philip Schanz took the loss for the Raiders.
Simpson doubled twice and drove in three runs to lead the Chieftains offensively.
Dowagiac also got two doubles and a pair of RBIs from Kyle Prak. Dodson added a double.
Keith Prak singled and drove in a run, while Stover and Tim DeRyder both had two hits.
"We played good baseball in both games," Dowagiac coach Andy Kruger said. "We got runners on the bases and hit them in when they were in scoring position. We put the ball in play most of the time, making Decatur make plays on us. Our defense was solid making all the routine plays. Cox and Fryman did well on the mound. Jamie Simpson and Troy Stover did the job in relief."
First Game
Decatur 000 00 – 0 2 4
Dowagiac 311 05 – 10 6 0
WP – Jake Cox (D)
LP – Kurtis Northrop (DEC)
Second Game
Decatur 200 00 – 2 2 3
Dowagiac 015 15 – 12 10 1
WP – Jason Fryman (D)
LP – Philip Schanz (DEC)
2B: Northrop (DEC), Kyle Prak (D) 2, Jamie Simpson (D) 2, Matt Dodson (D)
Record: Dowagiac 4-0