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PREP BASEBALL: Preisman's grand slam drives Reapers

BRIAN HOXSEY, sports@mywebtimes-com, (815) 433-2005

SANDWICH -- Plano centerfielder Matt Priesman told his head coach Jim Schmidt that he was going to get on base five times before Thursday's game against rival Sandwich.

He was right -- and then some.

Priesman, the Reapers' leadoff man reached base with a walk and four hits, which included a fifth-inning grand slam home run with his team trailing to help the visitors break a eight-game losing streak against the Indians and give them a 17-7 win their Interstate Eight Conference tilt.

"He (Priesman) was ready for today and he came in and proved himself," said Schmidt. "The grand slam was huge for us and gave us the momentum; it was a big two out hit. I think they'd won eight in a row, beat us in regionals twice and swept us in the last three years.

"I don't think we've won a game here since 2001, so it was definitely a big win for us against a well-coached team in Derek and I know he'll have his kids ready (today)."

Plano (8-9, 3-2) scored a single run in the top of the first on a Brent Day sacrifice fly and Sandwich's T.C. Blanford launched a long solo home run to left-center in the bottom of the inning to tie the score. Losing pitcher Matt Cervantes drove in a pair with a double in the second to give the hosts a 3-2 lead. Plano regained the lead (4-3) in the fourth on a Brook Bott RBI single, but Sandwich (3-10, 2-3) answered with four runs in its half with Rich McDowell ripping a two-run single.

In the fifth the Reapers loaded the bases with two outs and Priesman delivered, crushing a 1-1 fastball for his second home run of the year and

giving Plano a 8-7 lead which they would never relinquish.

"I was looking for it and sat on the pitch," said Priesman about his dinger. "He (Cervantes) wasn't bringing it like he was earlier in the game and I was able to wait back and put it over the right field fence."

Winning pitcher Eric Nelson (two earned runs and four strikeouts) worked into the fifth before being relieved by Ben Heller who retired five of the six batters he faced to earn his first save.

"A lot of my stuff was working," said Nelson, who is now 4-0 on the year. "I gave up that home run to T.C. (Blanford) and they hit a few gaps, but our bats got hot and we got the win."

Schmidt like what he saw from his pitching staff

"I took him out because his pitches were high, we got the lead for him and I wanted to get the win for him," Schmidt said. "He was upset I took him out and I want a pitcher like that and Ben Heller did a great job coming in and getting those last two outs with the bases loaded."

Plano added eight runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

Will Brown had three hits for Plano, while Day, Bott (double), Nick Preston (home run) and Alex Jensen (double) chipped in two hits each. Catcher T.C. Blanford led the Indians with a perfect 4-for-4 day.

"He (Blanford) is defiantly our heart and soul, being behind the plate and in the middle of our lineup," said Sandwich head coach Derek Avery. "We lost by 10, but I saw a lot of positives from our team. We made some errors today, but I didn't see any mental mistakes.

"We chose to give Matt the look today because he has done well in relief and he did a fine job. He'd like to have the pitch back on the grad

slam, but really I didn't think it was that bad of a pitch, the kid just went down and got and you have to give him credit for that."

The teams meet again today, this time in Plano at 4:30 p.m.

At Sandwich

Plano 17, Sandwich 7 (6 inn)

PLANO (17) -- Priesman cf 4-3-4-5, Day rf 4-1-2-1, Bott ss 3-1-2-2, LeMaster 3b 1-0-0-0, Gwilt 1b 3-1-0-0, Preston 1b-3b 5-3-2-1, Brown dh 5-3-3-0, O'Hara c 4-0-2-1, Ferguson cr 0-2-0-0, Wright 2b 3-0-0-0, Jensen lf 3-3-2-2, Nelson p 0-0-0-0, Heller p 0-0-0-0. Totals 35-17-17-12.

SANDWICH (7) -- Hutchison cf-p 3-1-1-1, Ritchie 2b 3-1-0-0, Blanford c 4-1-4-2, Roach cr 0-0-0-0, Futrell ss-cf 4-0-0-0, McDowell rf 4-0-1-2,

Gray 3b 1-0-0-0, Ament 3b 3-0-0-0, VanPelt 1b 3-1-0-0-, Thompson lf 3-2-0-0, Cervantes p-ss 2-1-2-2, Hyatt cr 0-0-0-0. Totals 30-7-8-7. Plano (8-9, 3-2)     111 158 -- 17

Sandwich (3-10, 2-3) 120 400 --  7

E - Plano 6, Sandwich 7. LOB -- Plano 9, Sandwich 8. 2B -- Bott, Preston, Jensen, Cervantes. 3B -- Priesman. HR -- Priesman, Preston, Blanford. SB -- Priesman, Bott, Jensen, Hutchison. SAC -- Wright. SF -- Day. HBP -- O'Hara by Cervantes, Ritchie by Nelson. K -- Nelson 4, Heller 3, Cervantes 5, Hutchison 2. BB -- Nelson 2, Heller 0, Cervantes 4, Hutchison 2. WP -- Nelson (4-0). LP -- Cervantes (0-2). Sv -- Heller (1).