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Ryan closes strong in 59ers' win
Updated: April 25, 2011 6:24AM
GARY - As always, Northwest Indiana has more than its share of five-star baseball players this season.
But for Andrean coach Dave Pishkur, there is one guy he would pick if there was such a thing as a region fantasy draft.
"He's only a sophomore but there isn't a player I would trade for Zak (Ryan)," Pishkur said. "He's got a great future as a pitcher and a hitter."
In Andrean's 7-2 win over Marian Catholic in Wednesday's RailCats Challenge matchup at the Steel Yard, Ryan showed the versatility that makes him one of the best underclassmen in the region. Eventually.
"It took me a while to get warmed up for today,' Ryan said about the cold temperatures. "I started to get my pitches where I wanted them around the fourth inning and then everything clicked."
That was also the time that Ryan and his teammates picked things up offensively.
With the game tied at 2-2 (Andrean's runs came in the first on a hit, two walks, and two Spartans errors), the 59ers (6-1) pushed four runs across the plate thanks to a single by Nick Martell, a sacrifice fly by Tyler Ochi and a two-run single by Ryan, who got the win despite a rocky start.
"He battled," Pishkur said of Ryan, who also picked off two runners. "I don't think he threw exceptionally well, but all of a sudden, something clicked. It wasn't like he was throwing harder, but he was starting to miss some bats."
In the ultimate example of better late than never, Ryan, who pitched six innings, picked up five of his eight strikeouts from the fourth inning on (including four straight) while giving up only two of the seven hits he allowed in the same time frame.
His control got better, too. Number of walks he gave up in innings one through three: three. Number of walks he allowed the rest of the way; none.
"It's always big when you get a win, I don't care who you're playing," Pishkur said. "Marian Catholic played hard and they were hitting Zak pretty good in the second and third inning."
The bottom of the order came though for the 59ers, with eighth-place hitter Cam Cooper picking up two singles and an RBI and No. 9 hitter Jeremy Wright adding three hits.
Byron Munoz had a couple of doubles and an RBI for Marian Catholic (11-4).
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