Home Run Propels Plymouth North Baseball Past Stoughton

Stoughton, the #11 seed in the 12-seed Division 2 South Sectional tournament, traveled to #6 Plymouth North on Friday attempting to upset the defending D2 State Baseball Champions. 

Locked in a scoreless tie with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Plymouth North's Joe Kingsbury walked and Brian Christian was hit by a pitch. With two on, Plymouth North pitcher Alex Rozak then hit what proved to be a game-winning three-run home run off Stoughton's Mike Gallagher, accounting for the only runs of the game. 
On the mound, Rozak got out of some trouble unscathed in the top of the seventh, with the Eagles winning 3-0. 

With the victory, Plymouth North (14-7) advances to face #3 Dennis-Yarmouth (16-4) on June 4 in the D2 South quarterfinals. 

Plymouth coach Dwayne Follette said Rozak had only 11 at bats this season prior to Friday's game, but the senior captain came through, with a double and the home run.

"It was about giving a senior a chance, getting a senior in the lineup and it paid off," Follette said. "In a tournament game I figure he'd come up big and boy did he ever."

"They got the big hit before we did and I think it was going to come down to that...got to tip your cap to Plymouth North," Stoughton coach Mike Armour said.

The home run was the only blemish for Gallagher in an otherwise sensational effort on the mound. The Stoughton sophomore scattered three hits over 5 and 2/3 innings of work. 

"[Gallagher] kept us off balance all day," Follette said. "He threw some 2-0 curveballs, he got us to chase fastballs out of the zone, he pitched really well."

"Plymouth North knows that they beat a heck of a baseball team today," Stoughton coach Mike Armour said. "Mike [Gallagher] had a little tightness in his back to start the game and just being the competitor he is, he went out and gutted it out and pitched a heck of a game."

Rozak allowed nine hits over seven innings, but kept Stoughton off the board. Stoughton had at least one baserunner in every inning and had at least one runner in scoring position in five of the seven innings, but Rozak got out of each jam.

The Black Knights loaded the bases on back-to-back-to-back singles from Jamie Connors, Zach Gibb and Jovani Pires with one out in the top of the second, but Rozak got the next two batters to strikeout, ending the inning. 

Plymouth North threatened in the bottom of the fourth with runners on second and third with one out, but Gallagher retired the next two batters and then tossed a five pitch fifth inning.

Then, Rozak aided his own cause in the sixth, literally securing himself the victory. 

Plymouth North has been a force in D2 South, winning the D2 state championship in 2011, advancing to the D2 South Sectional Final game in 2010, losing in the D2 State finals in 2009 and winning the D2 State Championship in 2008.