Clark keeps its focus

HAMMOND | The Times No. 5 Pioneers did a great job of keeping their focus during the latest schedule changes.

"We had several games rained out the last two weeks," Clark coach Chris Moore said. "Then, at two o'clock today, we found out we wouldn't be playing Whiting. So we had to scramble to find a game."

The Oilers had their conference game rained out on Thursday, so they hosted a conference doubleheader against Lake Station.

The Pioneers hosted E.C. Central, who accepted the last-minute invitation. The result was a 15-3 five-inning nonconference win for Clark.

In the second and third innings, Clark (9-1) had a total of 10 hits that tallied eight runs, all after two were out.

"Those two-out RBI hits show a lot of focus by our guys," Moore said. "We always preach how we need to get that runner home with two outs. Today was a great example of staying mentally tough."

Catcher Alex Evanich went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, a walk, an RBI, and three runs scored from the leadoff spot.

"I've been hitting leadoff since I was a sophomore," Evanich, now a senior, said. "I take a lot of pride in setting the tone for the team offensively. I saw the ball really well today."

Senior Mike Moore pitched a complete game for the Pioneers, scattering seven hits while striking out three.

"I knew I needed to go deep into the game today, because we play two tomorrow," Moore said. "Usually I come out of the bullpen. So I was really proud of being able to save the rest of the staff for tomorrow and next week. We have a lot of games coming up."

Jerald Morgan (2-for-2, two runs), Jordan Polak (3-for-3, two RBI), and Chad Mysiewicz (2-for-3, three RBI) all had big offensive days for the Pioneers, who pounded out a total of 20 hits.

E.C. Central coach George Ontiveros found a silver lining in the tough loss for the Cardinals (1-8-1).

"We have had the opportunity to play many of the underclassmen," Ontiveros said. "We've had a few games where the score got away from us, so we have used those to get a lot of our younger players valuable varsity time. It's worked out well for the players who need some experience."