This one was all it was cracked up to be. Down 2-0, LaPorte rallied for three runs in the sixth to nip Valparaiso 3-2 Thursday.
The Slicers, No. 2 in Class 4A, battled back to win a pitchers' duel of Duneland Conference aces on Darius Kincaid's clutch two-out hit. It made a winner of Kevin Upp and kept LaPorte (14-1, 6-1 DAC) tied for the league lead. The 6-foot-4 senior struck out 10 and walked three.
Senior Jerrick Suiter also went the distance. He yielded five hits, walked two and fanned one. He threw seven innings in Monday's 2-1 win over Portage, whiffing eight.
Both coaches agreed that Valparaiso (10-4, 4-3) is a "very good team. They don't get the credit they deserve," said Slicers coach Scott Upp. "This was as good of a game as we've been in all year. We've not faced anyone who throws as hard as Suiter. We tell them to put the ball in play. We hit it hard."
Upp said he didn't crank up the pitching machine to prepare.
"We did nothing special," he said. "We just want to play like LaPorte should."
Valparaiso has lost to No. 1 Crown Point, LaPorte and Lake Central. Vikings coach Mickey Morandini said "they all have good pitching but we had a chance to win all three. Suiter pitched well on three days rest. He's a battler. I'm real proud of his effort and all our guys.
"We played well but didn't take advantage of opportunities to score early. Our pitching and defense has been great," Morandini said. "Any break LaPorte could get it did."
Valparaiso led 1-0 in the second as John Nuppnau walked, moved up on two hits and scored on a groundout. Dom Coatsolonia made it 2-0 in the third, lining a solo shot to left-center. The Vikings loaded the bases but Upp escaped.
The Slicers' Jake McMahan led off the fourth with a double but was stranded.
LaPorte rallied with a leadoff walk, infield hit and an error on a ball that glanced off Suiter's glove to second. A groundout scored one. Suiter hit a batter and Sean Rogers' RBI fielder's choice tied it.
Kincaid won it with a smash past third.
"He does a real nice job in the nine-hole, turning the order over," Upp said. "I'm proud of him."
Upp said son Kevin "buckled down and made adjustments. He finally started mixing his pitches."
Half his Ks came on wicked curves. "With the wind blowing at you the curve is much better," said the VU recruit. "Darius did an awesome job. We put it in play."
John Olejniczak had three hits and Scott Kickbush two for Valparaiso which stranded eight. LaPorte left seven on.
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