Smith's right arm lifts Plymouth
over Northville, 3-1

BY ED WRIGHT
May  4, 2010, 3:55 p.m.

  Plymouth's usually reliable  bats were uncharacteristically quiet Monday afternoon, which made Lauren Smith's mound gem all the more impressive.

  Smith limited Northville's potent batting order to just three hits, leading the Wildcats to a 3-1 victory in a KLAA Conference showdown at Plymouth.

  The Wildcats made their two hits count. The first one came in the bottom of the opening frame when senior captain Amanda Burnard launched a two-run shot over the right-center field fence to give Smith all the runs she would need. The round-tripper scored Stacey Klonowski, who had reached on an error.

  After Northville cut its deficit to 2-1 in the top of the fourth, Plymouth regained its two-run cushion in the bottom of the inning when Klonowski and Burnard walked before executing a double steal. Bri Giordano then ripped a single down the left-field line, scoring Klonowski.

  Smith struck out 10 in her complete-game effort.

  "We're still a young team gaining experience from each play," said Plymouth coach Val Canfield.

  The Wildcats' starting line-up regularly includes three freshmen and a sophomore.

  The victory improved Plymouth's record to 10-4 overall and 5-3 in the KLAA Kensington Conference.

  The Wildcats return to action Wednesday when they take on John Glenn.