Baseball: Dillan Johnson’s clutch hit propels Plano past Sandwich

SANDWICH – Things never get boring within the storied sports rivalry that exists between Plano and Sandwich.

Monday afternoon’s Interstate Eight Conference matchup on the baseball diamond would prove to be no exception.

I was in the lineup today because our regular catcher (Jakob Klatt) is injured and I wanted to make the best of it. I was able to get the big hit when I needed to and we found a way to rally against our rivals.”

—  Dillan Johnson, Plano baseball player

The visiting Reapers rallied with four unearned runs in the top of the sixth after not recording a hit against Sandwich starting pitcher Hunter Pavia until that point to register a 5-3 comeback victory at Sandwich.

Sophomore No. 8 hitter Dillan Johnson’s two-run single with the bases loaded capped the Reaper’s late-game heroics as Plano (4-19, 2-9 I8) captured the first of two meetings with the Indians this week.

“I was in the lineup today because our regular catcher (Jakob Klatt) is injured, and I wanted to make the best of it,” Johnson said. “I was able to get the big hit when I needed to, and we found a way to rally against our rivals.”

Plano coach Nate Hill was proud of his team’s resiliency and the performance of Johnson in the most meaningful of moments at the plate.

“We just kept fighting, and we’ve struggled throughout the season so far, but we came through in a competitive situation against a Sandwich team our guys always love to beat,” Hill said. “Dillan (Johnson) is filling in for Jacob Klatt right now and even though Dillan’s a work in progress, he got up there and delivered the big hit when we needed him to do it.”

Sandwich (8-12, 1-10 I8) received an amazing pitching performance from senior Hunter Pavia (5 2/3 IP, 5 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 6 K, 4 BB) who suffered the hard-luck loss after carrying a perfect game through 3 1/3 innings and a no-hitter into the sixth before two key Indian errors behind him led to his team’s demise.

“In a rivalry game like this we can’t afford to make any mistakes, and the two late in the game really hurt us,” Sandwich coach Jason VanPelt said. “Hunter (Pavia) was fantastic on the mound, and I couldn’t have asked more of him today. It’s just too bad we couldn’t get the win. But I know we’ll be ready for Game 2 on Wednesday.”

The Indians struck first against Plano starting and winning pitcher Kaden Aguirre (5 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 9 K, 3 BB) when Pavia led off with an infield single in the bottom of the second and eventually scored on a wild pitch to give Sandwich a 1-0 lead after two innings of play.

Then in the bottom of the third with one gone, senior Austin Marks tripled to the fence in right and plated two pitches later when junior Tyler Lissman (two hits) scored Marks with a single that gave the Indians a 2-0 advantage after three frames.

Plano would cut the gap to 2-1 in the top of the fourth after Aguirre led off, got hit by a Pavia offering and would later score on a Jason Phillips sacrifice fly to left that kept the game close.

Marks then belted a one-out, solo home run to right in the bottom of the fifth to give Sandwich a 3-1 lead with Pavia sailing along on the mound having not allowed a hit.

However, the tide would turn in the Reapers favor in the visitor’s half of the sixth. After two Indian miscues, Nick Serio drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Josh Stellwagen would tie the game at 3 with an RBI single for Plano’s first and only hit against Pavia.

“I’ve been struggling at the plate lately so my main focus was to stay aware of what he (Pavia) might throw me,” Stellwagen said. “I got a good pitch to hit and I went with it.”

Johnson followed against Sandwich relief pitcher Lissman and ripped the game-winning hit to center with two out.

“I just tried to time up the new pitcher and he (Lissman) threw me a fastball in the top of the zone,” Johnson said. “I got a great look right where I wanted it.”

All that was left was for Plano junior relief pitcher Matthew Bruell (2 IP, 1 H) to close out the contest for his third save of the season that secured Aguirre’s third victory on the hill after the Reaper’s late-game triumph.

“I knew I had to have my team’s back in such a great rivalry game with Sandwich,” Bruell said. “I was able to get things done as a closer, and it was an amazing feeling for me.