Jimtown High School

Jimmies out duel LaVille in important conference game By Red Williams Freelance Sportswriter ELKHART - They only scored one run, but that’s all they needed. Jimtown Sophomore Carson Covey looped a double into right field Friday night to score senior Kam Flores, who had walked and stole second base to get into scoring position. Covey’s hit spoiled a no-hit bid by LaVille’s Brayden Schwitz. It came in the sixth inning at Booster Field on the Jimtown campus, with a small crowd huddling in 43-degree weather and a bright sky overhead. “I threw a fast ball a bit up in the zone,” Schwitz said in the Lancers’ dugout after the game. “I thought it was a pretty good pitch, but he got hold of it.” Schwitz was masterful, facing only the minimum 15 batters thru the fifth inning. The only base-runner was Colin Davis, who drew a walk in the second frame, but erased on a fine double play by the Lancers. Meanwhile, senior Dalton Cook threw shut-out ball for the Jimmies, allowing no one to get past second base while yielding just four scratch hits, no walks and three strike-outs. “It was our best game of the year,” boasted LaVille coach Brian Lawler. “The loss was tough to take. We were swinging the bats, but just couldn’t get anyone in.” He lauded the Jimmies, especially the effort by Cook. “They were solid all the way around.” “It was beautiful baseball,” related Jimtown coach Brandon Squibb. “It’s fun to watch when they’re pitching like that.” He said they’ve been trying to build up Covey’s confidence: “He’s been kind of down on himself, so we encouraged him to hang in there and not give in.” “I felt pretty confident in that at-bat,” Covey said. “I thought my off-season work would pay off, and it did. With our runner on second, I just cleared my mind and wanted to get some good wood (metal) on the pitch.” LaVille’s outfield was playing in, and Covey’s hit got past the right-fielder to drive in Flores. Cook related, “I was pleased with my game. I was able to hit my spots and had a good defence behind me.” To the point: With LaVille runners on first and third in the first inning, Squibb called a “double.” Cook faked a pick-off throw to third and reversed it with a throw to first, instead, catching the Lancers’ Lucas Underwood off base. A throw then to third caught Andre Gonzales in no-man’s land, and he was tagged for a double-play. Also Covey made a nice running catch in the fourth, and freshman shortstop Camden Pappas and Logan Smith, another frosh, teamed up on another double play in the sixth. The victory gave Jimtown a sweep in the two-game series (home-and-home) and lifted the Jimmies to a 7-4 record, including 4-2 in the Indiana Northern State Conference. The Lancers are now 3-11 and 0-6. Score by innings: LaVille 000 000 0 - 0 4 0 Jimtown 000 001 X - 1 1 3 Umpires: Doug Odiorne and Bob Wilson