HAMILTON — Three Rivers’ baseball team had a successful week, including wins at the Hamilton Tournament and against a conference foe.
On Saturday, May 9, the ‘Cats took home the championship of the Hamilton Tournament, defeating Cedar Springs 6-5, then taking down the host Hawkeyes 10-0 in five innings.
Against Cedar Springs, Three Rivers went down 2-0 early until a Gabe Young RBI single and Drake Dibble RBI groundout tied the game at 2-2 after the first. The ‘Cats would score two more in the bottom of the third on a Dibble sacrifice fly and Rylan Corte reaching on a misplayed bunt, scoring Ethan Moreland to make it 4-2. Both teams would exchange runs in the next two innings to make it 6-4, and while Cedar Springs got a run in the top of the seventh, it was not enough, as Three Rivers took the semifinal victory.
Mason Awe went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, while Young and Dibble had two RBI each. Tyson Rohrer, Aidan Williams and Tate Rohrer also added hits. Gabe Young got the win, going three innings, giving up five hits and two runs while striking out two and walking one.
In the championship game against Hamilton, Three Rivers jumped on the Hawkeyes quickly with six runs in the bottom of the first in six straight at-bats with no outs following back-to-back walks. The ‘Cats would score two more in the second and two more in the fifth to secure the mercy-rule win.
Dibble led the team with two doubles and three RBI, while Tyson Rohrer had a hit and two RBI, Corte had two hits and an RBI, Alex Nowak had two singles, and Young, Williams, Penny and Tate Rohrer added one RBI each.
On Monday, the Wildcats took a 15-5 mercy role loss at Constantine in six innings.
Three Rivers scored the first run of the game on an RBI single by Young in the top of the first, but in the bottom of the first, Constantine would score four, including a three-run double by Brody Bienz, to make it 4-1. The Wildcats would respond with four runs in the top of the third on an RBI double by Young, two runs scoring on an error by Bienz, and a sac fly by Penny to go up 5-4. The Falcons would respond quickly with three runs in the bottom of the frame to go up 7-5. Constantine would wrap up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth with an eight-run frame.
The visiting Wildcats were held to just four hits on the game: two from Young, one from Williams and one from Dibble. Penny took the loss, going three innings, giving up seven hits and seven runs (one earned) while striking out two and walking none. Brody Godfrey and Mick Smead had three hits for the Falcons, while Bienz had two hits and four RBI to help lead the way. Carson Jacobs threw a complete game, striking out six and walking one while giving up five unearned runs. Both teams had five errors on the game.
On Tuesday, the Wildcats rebounded with a 7-6 win against Paw Paw in a scheduled home doubleheader, with the second game postponed due to weather.
The Wildcats scored twice in the second inning and five times in the third to take a 7-0 lead. Paw Paw would chip away with two runs each in the fourth, sixth and seventh, with the tying run left stranded to end the game on a diving catch by Penny.
Penny was also tough at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI on the day. Corte had a 2-for-3 game with two stolen bases, and Williams, Young, Dibble and Moreland added a hit apiece. Tyson Rohrer started and got the win for the ‘Cats, going 5.1 innings, giving up three hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out eight and walking four.
With the results, Three Rivers moves to 14-6-1 on the season.
Sturgis swept by Bronson, Otsego
STURGIS — The visiting Bronson Vikings swept Sturgis in a twin bill last week, winning both games by identical 11-1 scores.
Joey Carpenter banged out three singles on the day, while Camden Duffy, Julien Lambright and Brayden Bibb had two hits apiece.
The Trojan baseball team was on the road Tuesday, travelling to Otsego to play a twin bill. The host Bulldogs took both games, winning 15-0 and 13-3.
Julien Lambright had a double and a single on the day, and Joey Carpenter added a single, driving in two runs in the second contest. The losses left the Trojans with an overall record of 3-19.
White Pigeon drops twinbill to Decatur
WHITE PIGEON — White Pigeon baseball hosted Decatur last week, and the visitors swept both games of the twin bill, 4-2 and 13-4. Four errors proved costly to the Chiefs in the first game. Leading 2-1 going into the sixth inning, White Pigeon surrendered three runs to the Raiders, and were held scoreless the next two frames.
Bristol Ultz picked up two hits to lead the Chiefs, while Brody Block, who scored both runs, Dace Kochel, Devin Smith and Nolan Bright all added a base hit. Block, who started on the hill, tossed 5.1 innings, allowed five hits and two walks, while striking out 10. Ultz and Kochel went the final 1.2 innings.
The Raiders pitchers recorded 18 strikeouts on the game.
The second game also went to the Raiders, as they topped the Chiefs, 13-4. Aiden Jackson lasted just 1.1 innings, giving up eight hits and eight runs. Carl Rodriguez came in and went the final 3.2 frames. He allowed five runs, walked four and recorded three strikeouts.
Eli Lane and Ultz came up with the only two hits allowed by Raider pitching, with Smith and Lane scoring one run each. Decatur pitching also hit double-digit strikeouts, whiffing 10 Chief batters.
Marcellus splits with Hartford, shellack Comstock
MARCELLUS — Marcellus’ baseball team went 3-1 in the last week, splitting at home against Hartford on Thursday, May 7 and sweeping Comstock on the road Monday.
Against Hartford, Marcellus won Game 1 by a score of 15-0 in four innings, and lost 11-4 in Game 2.
In Game 1, Marcellus was buoyed by a 12-run second inning that featured six walks, five hits, two errors, and two hit-by-pitches. Cale Hackenberg led the way with a 3-for-4 game with two triples, a double, and five RBI, while Eli Torres went 2-for-2 with three RBI and two walks. Zade Tyska and Matt Lehew also had two hits and an RBI each. On the mound, Hackenberg threw a four-inning no-hitter, striking out nine and walking two.
In the nightcap, Hartford scored three each in the second, fifth and seventh innings to pull away with the win. Marcellus was held to just five hits, one each from Seth Barrera, Hackenberg, Tyska, Lehew, and Blake McWilliams. Barrera took the loss on the mound, pitching 6.2 innings, giving up seven hits and nine runs (five earned) while striking out six and walking three.
Against Comstock, Marcellus defeated the Colts 27-4 in three innings in Game 1 and kept the offense going with an 18-9 win in four innings in the nightcap.
In the first game, Marcellus scored 14 runs in the first, three in the second and 10 in the third to roll to the win. Hackenberg finished a double short of the cycle, going 3-for-3 with four RBI and a walk. Barrera had four hits, including three doubles, and two RBI. Rory Rogers also added two hits and three RBI. Gage Rumsey went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Torres had three RBI, Tyska had two RBI, Lehew had two RBI and three walks, McWilliams had two RBI, and Zack Harrison had three RBI. Barrera struck out three and gave up one hit in two innings of work.
In Game 2, Marcellus scored four runs in the first inning before Comstock responded with nine runs in the bottom of the frame. The Wildcats would pull away with five in the second, three in the third and six in the fourth to get the victory. Rumsey had two hits, while Harrison had three RBI on the day. Marcellus walked 10 times as a team, while Comstock committed six errors. Barrera got the win in relief, giving up five hits and three runs (none earned) in four innings of work, after Torres walked five and gave up six runs (five earned) without recording an out as the starter.
The results move Marcellus to 11-9.
