Zolvinski, LaPorte heating up
Junior’s 2 RBIs help Slicers sweep Chesterton
LaPorte went through a stretch where it had to eke out runs to win games.
The Slicers’ 15-4 Duneland Athletic Conference victory against Chesterton on Wednesday wasn’t one of those games.
LaPorte (13-6, 7-3) pounded out 11 hits and scored five runs in two of the six innings to earn their second straight victory against the Trojans (9-9, 6-4).
Four LaPorte players had at least two hits. Designated hitter Gavin Zolvinski had the biggest bat, finishing 2 for 3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. His second-inning double drove in the Slicers’ first two runs.
Hitting can be contagious. For Zolvinski, who had two hits in the Slicers’ 9-4 win against Chesterton on Tuesday, it’s good to know his teammates are feeding off each other.
“From top to bottom, we are really coming around,” he said. “Everybody hit the ball today.”
Zolvinski, a junior who played on varsity two years ago, said he is starting to feel comfortable at the plate.
“I’ve just calmed down a little bit,” he said. “It was definitely nerve-wracking freshman year. I realize now all you can do is put the ball in play and not try to do too much.”
LaPorte coach Scott Upp said Zolvinski, a left-handed hitter, has expanded his menu at the plate.
“He’s starting to use the whole field now,” Upp said. “He’s had some hits to left-center. He’s not trying to do too much. I think maybe he’s maturing as a hitter.”
Upp thought the game might turn into a shootout after Chesterton scored two in the first inning and the Slicers answered with five runs in the second. The Trojans added two more runs in the third to make it 5-4.
LaPorte starter Jack McGuire
settled down after the bumpy third inning. The senior went five innings without giving up a walk. He struck out four.
McGuire did just enough to keep his team in the game. Caleb McGuire pitched the sixth.
“Jack settled down a bit,” Upp said. “When he gets behind hitters, it’s no secret that he’s not going to blow it by hitters. I thought he settled down and was able to stay ahead of the hitters.”
For Chesterton, it was a rough two-day stretch. Starting catcher Nick Lambert left in the fourth inning with an injury to his hand. The Trojans had two costly errors, threw five wild pitches and hit two batters with pitches.
It’s not a winning formula, and Chesterton coach Jack Campbell knows that.
“It was just mistake after mistake,” he said. “We lost 9-4 last night, and we gave up seven unearned runs.”