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EAST LANSING — Orchard Lake St. Mary's baseball found itself in a rare hole and staring at a bitter finish entering the back half of the MHSAA Division 2 baseball state championship on Saturday, June 13.
The Eaglets (34-5), winners of 26 straight entering the title game, trailed Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills by four runs after three innings. The No. 1 team all season in Division 2 all poured out of the dugout after Kenowa Hills scored three runs in the third inning and had a full team meeting outside of the first base dugout.
"Do what you've done all year," St. Mary's coach Nick Di Ponio said of the message he delivered.
St. Mary's flipped a switch from the fourth inning on, clawing back to take down Kenowa Hills 6-4 in eight innings for the Division 2 title. It is the Eaglets' seventh baseball state title and first since 2022.
The Eaglets' comeback started with a single from senior Luke Crighton, who finished the day 4-for-5 from the plate. Crighton moved to third on an Andrew Tribul double, and then scored on a Derick Conrad groundout.
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Crighton, who threw a complete game shutout in the semifinal win over Dearborn Divine Child, put a barrel on the ball every time he stepped in the batter's box.
"I knew we were going to figure it out at some point," Crighton, an Indiana signee, said. "We were barreling all the balls right at people. Then we pieced a few hits together, stayed with our approach and finally got some big hits."
OLSM tied the game with a three-run sixth inning. Senior catcher Tyler Shubnell drove in two runs with a double to right-center field and tied the game by scoring on a Nate Bauman RBI single.
"This playoff run, we've been cruising, said Shubnell. "That was the first time we've faced adversity. And we worked all season to be here. We had no quit."
Kenowa Hills and OLSM both threatened with two baserunners in the seventh inning, but both sets were left stranded.
In the top of the 8th, Joseph Schlip started an OLSM rally with a single. Bauman reached with a bunt single toward third base, putting runners at the corners. Senior Preston Duff laid down a squeeze bunt, scoring a run. Crighton drove in one more insurance run with his fourth single of the game.
"We have probably the best offense in the state," Crighton said. "And we knew it was going to come alive at some point."
Kenowa Hills started the game hot with three runs off five hits against St. Mary's starter Hudson Brzustewicz, but managed just one hit over the final five innings.
Senior left-handed reliever Anthony Abela stopped the Knights. Abela, normally in a closing role, came out of OLSM's pen and pitched the final five innings, giving up one hit and three walks along with six strikeouts. He tied his longest outing of the season with a shutdown performance.
"A lot of curveballs," Abela said. "A lot of curveballs. That's been my pitch all year."
The Eaglets capped a dominant season with 27 straight wins, a league title in the state's toughest division and its first state title for this graduating class of students.
"Even though we were down, we were still confident that we were going to win," Abela said. "I had the mindset of, no matter what, we are going to pull out and win the state championship."
Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.
Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Orchard Lake St. Mary's rallies to win MHSAA Division 2 baseball title
Continue reading...
The Eaglets (34-5), winners of 26 straight entering the title game, trailed Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills by four runs after three innings. The No. 1 team all season in Division 2 all poured out of the dugout after Kenowa Hills scored three runs in the third inning and had a full team meeting outside of the first base dugout.
"Do what you've done all year," St. Mary's coach Nick Di Ponio said of the message he delivered.
St. Mary's flipped a switch from the fourth inning on, clawing back to take down Kenowa Hills 6-4 in eight innings for the Division 2 title. It is the Eaglets' seventh baseball state title and first since 2022.
The Eaglets' comeback started with a single from senior Luke Crighton, who finished the day 4-for-5 from the plate. Crighton moved to third on an Andrew Tribul double, and then scored on a Derick Conrad groundout.
D-1 SCORE: Andrew Mahoney deals to lift Novi Detroit CC to D-1 game
Crighton, who threw a complete game shutout in the semifinal win over Dearborn Divine Child, put a barrel on the ball every time he stepped in the batter's box.
"I knew we were going to figure it out at some point," Crighton, an Indiana signee, said. "We were barreling all the balls right at people. Then we pieced a few hits together, stayed with our approach and finally got some big hits."
OLSM tied the game with a three-run sixth inning. Senior catcher Tyler Shubnell drove in two runs with a double to right-center field and tied the game by scoring on a Nate Bauman RBI single.
"This playoff run, we've been cruising, said Shubnell. "That was the first time we've faced adversity. And we worked all season to be here. We had no quit."
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Kenowa Hills and OLSM both threatened with two baserunners in the seventh inning, but both sets were left stranded.
In the top of the 8th, Joseph Schlip started an OLSM rally with a single. Bauman reached with a bunt single toward third base, putting runners at the corners. Senior Preston Duff laid down a squeeze bunt, scoring a run. Crighton drove in one more insurance run with his fourth single of the game.
"We have probably the best offense in the state," Crighton said. "And we knew it was going to come alive at some point."
Kenowa Hills started the game hot with three runs off five hits against St. Mary's starter Hudson Brzustewicz, but managed just one hit over the final five innings.
Senior left-handed reliever Anthony Abela stopped the Knights. Abela, normally in a closing role, came out of OLSM's pen and pitched the final five innings, giving up one hit and three walks along with six strikeouts. He tied his longest outing of the season with a shutdown performance.
"A lot of curveballs," Abela said. "A lot of curveballs. That's been my pitch all year."
The Eaglets capped a dominant season with 27 straight wins, a league title in the state's toughest division and its first state title for this graduating class of students.
"Even though we were down, we were still confident that we were going to win," Abela said. "I had the mindset of, no matter what, we are going to pull out and win the state championship."
Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.
Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Orchard Lake St. Mary's rallies to win MHSAA Division 2 baseball title
Continue reading...
