Northwood gets strong pitching and clutch hitting to defeat Woodbridge 2-1 in PCL game

Arthur Liu (left) had two hits and Andrew Kotin got the win on the mound for Northwood (Photo: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Northwood’s baseball team scratched and clawed its way to another Pacific Coast League victory Thursday afternoon defeating Woodbridge 2-1 at Ryan Lemmon Stadium.

The Timberwolves were limited to seven hits by Woodbridge pitcher Max Montplaisir, who had 10 strikeouts, but they benefited from a strong pitching performance themselves from starter Andrew Kotin.

The senior pitched the first 6 2/3 innings allowing just an unearned run in the first inning. He allowed only four hits and struck out six to help Northwood (6-6-1, 6-3) sweep the league series with Woodbridge (7-9, 3-6). Justin Bonnell came on in the seventh to get the final out.

“They (Woodbridge) came out with the absolute intensity and effort that they needed to get that win but he just battled his way through it,” Northwood Coach Rob Stuart said of Kotin. “We got him a couple runs. It could have been easy for him to say, ‘this isn’t my day.'”

But Kotin worked out of trouble in the first inning, holding Woodbridge to one run.

“All that matters is that we won, I’m glad I could do my part,” Kotin said. “We swept them, that’s always a good thing. I don’t think I started off too well. But I think I finished a little better. But the team did great and we got some key hits. It was a fun game.”

Northwood scored a run in the first inning. With two outs, Jack Jones singled and scored on an RBI double by Arthur Liu.

Woodbridge evened the game in the bottom of the first. Lucas Budgell doubled and came around to score when Jakob Trestik reached on an error.

But in the top of the second, the Timberwolves countered with a run.

Trey Littlejohn singled and Aaron Firth reached on an error to put runners on first and third. Littlejohn then scored on a passed ball.

Northwood also had the bases loaded in the third but Montplaisir struck out Nick Demaio to end the inning.

The Timberwolves also loaded the bases in the fifth inning with one out, but again Montplaisir worked out of trouble.

Woodbridge’s best scoring chance after the first came in the fifth when Jack Bunnell doubled leading off. But Northwood turned a double play and eventually got out of the inning.

The Warriors hitting continued to struggle and Woodbridge dropped into fifth place behind fourth place University which defeated Portola 2-1.

Woodbridge, which stranded seven runners, also had two runners on in the seventh with two outs, but couldn’t even the score.

“That was another tough one for us today,” said Woodbridge Coach Ryan Brucker. “I was really happy with the way Max Montplaisir competed. He has stepped up twice now in key spots for us. Credit Northwood and their pitcher. He threw well today.

“I was happy that we fought to the end, and gave ourselves an opportunity in the seventh to tie it, (Lucas) Budgell had a good at-bat there (on the final at bat) but we came up short. That is baseball.”

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com