PLYMOUTH — Plymouth coach Vernon Irven made a pitching change before the game began.

About 10 minutes before the start of the Division IV sectional final game with Crestline, Irven scratched his initial starter, Ariel Plank, in favor of Mackenzie Back.

The move was a good one.

Back tossed a two-hit complete game, striking out eight and walking none, as the Big Red blanked the Bulldogs, 4-0, Thursday afternoon.

With the win, third-seeded Plymouth (16-7) advanced to the Shelby district and will face top-seeded Monroeville on Tuesday at 4 p.m. In the other district game, second-seeded Mohawk will take on fifth-seeded Lucas on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Crestline, which entered the game as the sixth seed, finished its season at 11-9.

Irven said that he made the move at pitcher out of necessity.

“Our pitcher made a slide at second in the game before this and bruised her knee,” Irven said. “It’s still a little sore, so we want to get her rested up for tomorrow’s game.”

The Plymouth mentor said that he had no qualms about making the move.

“I have two pitchers that I can throw in at any time,” Irven said. “She kept her speed, and she kept her patience and, when she threw a bad pitch, she forgot about it. That’s what we coach her all the time, just forget about it, let the bad ones go.”

After Back gave up a leadoff single to Crestline’s Maddie Engler, she retired the next eight hitters, before Engler reached with a bunt single in the fourth.

From there, only Crestline’s Madison McCullough reached on an error in the seventh.

Crestline coach Patty Huber said her team just didn’t hit the ball, but she said that her team has improved dramatically.

“The bats weren’t there, but, you know, this is a lot better than the first time we played them,” Huber said. “They run-ruled us 15-0. We played better; we just didn’t hit as well as we usually do.”

Plymouth got an unearned run in the first off Crestline starter Brooklyn Gregory, then got a key three-run double in the third by Jaylin Branham. The hit came with two outs.

“That was key,” Irven said. “With girls, the big thing is just to keep their heads up. Keep them confident, keep them focused. We had a couple of girls that had a bad day today before the game happened. But we got focused and we played as a team.”

Gregory was the hard-luck loser for the Bulldogs.  The sophomore right-hander scattered six hits in a complete game. She permitted three hits in the third but kept the Big Red off the bases most of the game.

“(Gregory) did pitch well,” Huber said. “She really did a good job. She really works the corners and does a great job.”

Irven said that, while Crestline lost, the Bulldogs have improved by leaps and bounds from the start of the season.

“(Crestline) is absolutely an improved team,” Irven said. “They are playing as a team, joining together, joking together. It’s an amazing difference to see them now from then.”

Box score

Crestline     000 000 0        0        2        2

Plymouth    103 000 X       4         6        1

WP: Mackenzie Back (8 SO, 0 W)

LP: Brooklyn Gregory (8 SO 5 W)

HR: None.

Triples: None.

Doubles: (P) Jaylin Branham.

Multiple hits: (C) Maddie Engler.

Records: Crestline 11-9; Plymouth 16-7.