Havin lunch or dinner with Nick before school

Nick & Dad will be having dinner at our old favorite spot on S. 18th...Pizza King where the train delivers the drinks, we loved this spot on Friday nights when he was the little guy. Then he's off to college next week. Where have the years gone?

Lafayette All-Stars win Colt World Series opener

Young, Anthrop lead Lafayette to shutout victory over Ottawa, Ill.

Written by Jeff Washburn
It was evident Friday night that Lafayette was quite familiar with Loeb Stadium and all the hoopla which surrounds the Colt World Series.

It also was evident that North Zone champion Ottawa, Ill., probably never has played in front of 2,249 fans on such an important stage.

Lafayette got five powerful shutout innings from right-hander Jordan Young, two key rally-starting hits from freshman-to-be Jackson Anthrop and played errorless baseball in an impressive 7-0 opening night victory.

Young and relievers Braden Giroux and Hayes Cronk combined on a five-hitter, and Lafayette scored in four of the six innings in which it batted. The All-Stars got a double and a single from Anthrop and three RBIs from Myles Hann, who had an RBI single and a pair of sacrifice flies.

Ottawa had two on and two out in the top of the first when right fielder Logan Sowers made a leaping catch to end the threat. After that, Young and the offense took over. Leadoff man Austin Albrecht scored a pair of Lafayette runs, as did Anthrop.

“Early in the game, I had butterflies in my stomach, but after the first pitch, I had the adrenaline with all the people here and just started throwing strikes,” Young said. “I was bringing it.”

Lafayette scored two in the second, then watched as Anthrop had key hits in the third and fourth to extend the lead to 5-0.

“Jackson is going to be a good one,” Young said. “He should be one of the top players for this team next year, too. He did make some great defensive plays and got some timely hits. We got what we needed from him.

“It also was important tonight that we got a lead against these guys. For me, getting the lead made me more comfortable on the mound. Had I given up a run, it wouldn’t have worried me. But getting that lead against a great team was big for us.”

For Anthrop, a double in his first CWS at-bat is one he always will remember.

“Those two hits were good,” Anthrop said. “The coaches were helping me in the batting cage before the game ... changed my stance. It just worked out for me. Jordan really pitched well, too. We’re really lucky to have him on the team. He really kept us in it.”

Manager Josh Loggins loved the way Lafayette combined pitching, hitting and its trademark defense to win with relative ease.

“Jordan absolutely was in complete control,” Loggins said. “He has the experience of having done it before. He has played at highly competitive levels. He settled in after that first inning and was extrmely efficient.

“There were jitters our first time through the lineup. I’m extremely proud of Jackson Anthrop. That kid is coming from eighth grade. He has not played in front of fans like this, but he stepped up and did a great job.”