59ers rout bumbling Griffith

Updated: May 4, 2011 11:53PM

GRIFFITH — There were two emergency on-the-field huddles for Griffith coach Brian Jennings and his team in between innings.

Tried to get in his players’ faces. Tried to stir them from their funk. Tried anything to give his team a chance to make it competitive against Andrean.

Didn’t matter for the Panthers. They just had one of those forgettable days in a 12-5 loss to the 59ers on Wednesday.

How about this statistic for the chalkboard?

The 59ers finished with only three earned runs in the debacle. That is what happens when a team makes eight errors like the Panthers did. In the last two games, the Panthers have committed 14 errors.

Jennings was fuming afterward.

“We stink,” Jennings said. “We weren’t competitive. If this happens again, I’m going with younger players.”

The 59ers actually had a chance to end the game early after they took a 12-1 lead in the fifth inning.

Andrean coach Dave Pishkur, however, made mass substitutions in his lineup so he could get some different players some work.

That included bringing senior Mike Sammon in for starter Zach Goldasich. Sammon struggled, throwing a wild pitch and hitting two batters, which led to three runs for Griffith. That just prolonged the agony for the Panthers.

The big story for the 59ers was Goldasich, who picked up his first victory in his first start this season.

Pishkur decided to throw him because the team is in a tough spot in the schedule. The 59ers have five conference games this week.

Good thing Goldasich was ready and available. He only allowed one walk and four hits.

“I’m happy with Zach,” Pishkur said. “He worked fast and he threw strikes. He got some groundouts. That is pretty good for his first start.”

Goldasich, who usually plays first base, had exactly one inning in relief against Lowell this season. He did start a couple of games last year.

Goldasich was completely unaffected about taking the mound.

“I love pitching,” he said. “I wasn’t nervous at all. I knew we were going to play well. All I had to do was throw strikes. These guys play good defense. I just go out there and do my job. You’ve got to love me for that.”

Cam Cooper was the offensive star for the 59ers, who raised their record to 11-3 (6-1 NCC). He was 4-for-5 with a double and three singles. Nick Tobye had an opposite-field, wind-blown home run for Andrean.

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