Diamond Classic Semifinal - 6/6/11
Tonight’s first game is an interesting game. Portland St. Patrick is a Class D Team that is having an excellent year. Not only have they been invited to the Diamond Classic; they have made the semi-final game versus Grand Ledge, which is almost always the best team in the area and frequently a factor in the State Class A Tournament.
Real life interferes with our Bleacher Denizen’s quest to make it to the 5:30 opening. There is a lot of backed up traffic on Jolly Road and this causes our Bleacher Denizen to miss the first inning. However, it is still 0-0. Can this possibly be the night that a small school team is able to knock Mighty Grand Ledge out of the tournament? (Actually, I cringe at making Grand Ledge sound like brutes; when I have seen them play in the past, I enjoy the way they do all the fundamental things, especially on defense pretty well.)
However, tonight, they are in the way of a potential huge Cinderella story!
At the end of the second inning, Tyler Kramer, the starting pitcher for St. Patrick still has not allowed Grand Ledge to score. However, Grand Ledge starter Blake Dahlstrom has not even given up a hit to St. Patrick yet.
However, in the third inning, Cinderella’s glass slipper is irreparably smashed as Grand Ledge scores ten runs of three different St. Patrick pitchers to take a 10-0 lead. They expand that lead to 16-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Everyone from Grand Ledge is hitting. Catcher Tyler D. Baker gets the first RBI for Grand Ledge. Second Baseman Eric Eiseler gets the only extra base hit in this inning with a two-run double.
Nathan McCrumb gets a triple in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the inning, St. Patrick finally scores off a grand ledge substitute pitcher on a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly. The game ends 19-5 as St. Patrick played as well as they could, but were simply overmatched. St. Patrick could be back again next year; they only have three seniors on the team.
The second game was a much better show. Both pitchers, Junior Austin Rusnell for DeWitt and Sophomore Andrew Sabrosky for Holt pitched complete games. Rusnell is able to pitch at 88 and 89 miles per hour on his fastest pitches and Sabrosky consistently pitched over 90 miles per hour (and he’s just a Sophomore.) In the sixth inning Sabrosky was still throwing that fast. (There are major league pitchers who cannot do that.)
Holt scored a run in each of the first three innings. Justin Alleman, who is probably Holt’s best hitter, was hit by a pitch in the first inning. An error and a single by Sabrosky brought him around to score Holt’s first run. In the second inning, Sophomore Second Baseman, Jason Daman got a two-out walk, stole second and scored on Catcher Grant Van Liew’s double.
In the third inning, Alleman was hit by a pitch again. (Better him than me, I suppose. OWWWW!) Alleman was not fazed by this as he was feeling spry enough to steal second and third base. Right Fielder Tyler Elmo singled him in to score Holt’s third run.
This proved to be enough for Holt to win the game. DeWitt scored its run in the third inning on a leadoff single by Zach Acre (which was DeWitt’s first hit of the game), two walks and a thirty foot infield single by Nate McCoy. Sabrosky had to strike out the last two DeWitt batters of the inning to limit DeWitt to the one run.
Holt scored its final run in the fifth inning. After Joey Meyers drew a leadoff walk, Tyler Elmo had an RBI Double to send the run home.
In the sixth inning, Holt loaded the bases with one out on singles by Daman (who had two singles and a walk this game), Van Liew (who also had two hits) and an intentional walk to Alleman (who at least got on base this time without enduring a bruise.) However, DeWitt pulled off a perfectly-handled double play to stop this Holt threat.
DeWitt’s infield completed another double play in the seventh.
DeWitt loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on a hit batter, Nate McCoy’s second hit of the game and a walk to Rusnell (with just one out.) However, Sabrosky got a crucial strikeout for the second out and DeWitt’s last batter hit into a force play.
Sabrosky pitched a great game. Holt won 4-1.
The finals will be on Wednesday night and your Bleacher Denizen plans to be there. We’ll see if Holt can get in the way of the Grand Ledge Baseball Express!
Tonight’s first game is an interesting game. Portland St. Patrick is a Class D Team that is having an excellent year. Not only have they been invited to the Diamond Classic; they have made the semi-final game versus Grand Ledge, which is almost always the best team in the area and frequently a factor in the State Class A Tournament.
Real life interferes with our Bleacher Denizen’s quest to make it to the 5:30 opening. There is a lot of backed up traffic on Jolly Road and this causes our Bleacher Denizen to miss the first inning. However, it is still 0-0. Can this possibly be the night that a small school team is able to knock Mighty Grand Ledge out of the tournament? (Actually, I cringe at making Grand Ledge sound like brutes; when I have seen them play in the past, I enjoy the way they do all the fundamental things, especially on defense pretty well.)
However, tonight, they are in the way of a potential huge Cinderella story!
At the end of the second inning, Tyler Kramer, the starting pitcher for St. Patrick still has not allowed Grand Ledge to score. However, Grand Ledge starter Blake Dahlstrom has not even given up a hit to St. Patrick yet.
However, in the third inning, Cinderella’s glass slipper is irreparably smashed as Grand Ledge scores ten runs of three different St. Patrick pitchers to take a 10-0 lead. They expand that lead to 16-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Everyone from Grand Ledge is hitting. Catcher Tyler D. Baker gets the first RBI for Grand Ledge. Second Baseman Eric Eiseler gets the only extra base hit in this inning with a two-run double.
Nathan McCrumb gets a triple in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the inning, St. Patrick finally scores off a grand ledge substitute pitcher on a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly. The game ends 19-5 as St. Patrick played as well as they could, but were simply overmatched. St. Patrick could be back again next year; they only have three seniors on the team.
The second game was a much better show. Both pitchers, Junior Austin Rusnell for DeWitt and Sophomore Andrew Sabrosky for Holt pitched complete games. Rusnell is able to pitch at 88 and 89 miles per hour on his fastest pitches and Sabrosky consistently pitched over 90 miles per hour (and he’s just a Sophomore.) In the sixth inning Sabrosky was still throwing that fast. (There are major league pitchers who cannot do that.)
Holt scored a run in each of the first three innings. Justin Alleman, who is probably Holt’s best hitter, was hit by a pitch in the first inning. An error and a single by Sabrosky brought him around to score Holt’s first run. In the second inning, Sophomore Second Baseman, Jason Daman got a two-out walk, stole second and scored on Catcher Grant Van Liew’s double.
In the third inning, Alleman was hit by a pitch again. (Better him than me, I suppose. OWWWW!) Alleman was not fazed by this as he was feeling spry enough to steal second and third base. Right Fielder Tyler Elmo singled him in to score Holt’s third run.
This proved to be enough for Holt to win the game. DeWitt scored its run in the third inning on a leadoff single by Zach Acre (which was DeWitt’s first hit of the game), two walks and a thirty foot infield single by Nate McCoy. Sabrosky had to strike out the last two DeWitt batters of the inning to limit DeWitt to the one run.
Holt scored its final run in the fifth inning. After Joey Meyers drew a leadoff walk, Tyler Elmo had an RBI Double to send the run home.
In the sixth inning, Holt loaded the bases with one out on singles by Daman (who had two singles and a walk this game), Van Liew (who also had two hits) and an intentional walk to Alleman (who at least got on base this time without enduring a bruise.) However, DeWitt pulled off a perfectly-handled double play to stop this Holt threat.
DeWitt’s infield completed another double play in the seventh.
DeWitt loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on a hit batter, Nate McCoy’s second hit of the game and a walk to Rusnell (with just one out.) However, Sabrosky got a crucial strikeout for the second out and DeWitt’s last batter hit into a force play.
Sabrosky pitched a great game. Holt won 4-1.
The finals will be on Wednesday night and your Bleacher Denizen plans to be there. We’ll see if Holt can get in the way of the Grand Ledge Baseball Express!