The Milan News-Leader
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Milan wallops Dundee 15-0 in opener
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 5, 2007
If the remainder of the 2007 Milan baseball season goes as well as its first inning, it's going to be a very successful year indeed for the Big Reds.
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Milan sent 16 batters to the plate and scored 13 runs in the bottom of the first in their season-opener Monday against Dundee, which was more than enough offense in what would become a 15-0 three-inning mercy rule win.
Starter Mike Latham pitched three scoreless innings without allowing a hit to pick up the team's first win of the season.
"Dundee had some problems, but I was pretty impressed with how we hit the ball today," Milan head coach Adam Gilles said. "Mike Latham also pitched extremely well for us. If he can continue to throw strikes, he's going to be pretty successful."
Milan was in control from the opening pitch, with Latham setting the overmatched Vikings down 1-2-3 in the top of the first.
The Big Reds would then go on to score four runs without a hit as the Viking starter struggled with his control. After four walks and a hit batsman, back-to-back wild pitches plated seniors Cameron Hynds and Ryan Bordine for the 4-0 lead.
Dundee looked to be in position to get out of the inning after a line-out double play, but Jake Hall singled up the middle for a fifth run and to bring up the top of the order and Zach McGovern. The junior laced a two-RBI triple, followed two batters later by a two-run single from Hynds for a commanding 9-0 lead.
The inning finally ended on a three-RBI triple to deep left-center by Matt Suisse, who was thrown out at home trying for the inside-the-park home run.
"We didn't hit the ball real well in our scrimmages last week," Gilles said, "but today we got some base runners and every ball we hit, we hit hard."
Latham wasted little time in bringing the Big Reds back to the plate, striking out the side in the top of the second.
With the three-inning 15-run mercy rule looming, Dundee was poised to extend the game after retiring the first two batters in the bottom of the second. But a walk, RBI double from Matt Craig and RBI single from Hynds pushed the lead to 15.
Latham allowed his first base runner of the game on a hit batsman in the top of the third, but stranded the runner on a called strikeout to end the game.
"I felt pretty good out there. It's easy when you have run support," Latham said afterward. "The guys were really hitting the ball today."
According to Gilles, if there was any negative to the Big Reds' performance, it's that it was too dominant.
"I was hoping we wouldn't get to 15," he said, noting that he wanted to get more of his bench involved ahead of Wednesday's game with Ann Arbor Huron. "We've got two more games this week. Huron will be a big test for us."
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