Onekama Baseball Team Splits With Cardinals May 4, 2006

By GREG GIELCZYK

Sports Editor

ONEKAMA — It was a must-win situation for Onekama High’s baseball team in the second game of Thursday afternoon’s Western Michigan D League doubleheader with Mason County Eastern. The Portagers dropped the opener, 4-2, to the Cardinals. They had to win the second game, or face the possibility of slipping down into a tie with Brethren for first place. Onekama responded by winning the nightcap, 5-4.

In the first game, Dave Gillespie suffered his first loss of the season for the Portagers, falling to 6-1. Mason County Eastern opened up a 3-0 lead, before Matt Fredericks got the Portagers back in the game with a two-run home run. But, the Cardinals scored one run in the sixth, and the Portagers couldn’t answer. Other than Fredericks’ home run, the Portagers had Tyler Miller with two hits.

Joey Mitchell started the second game for Onekama, and pitched the first four innings.  The Portagers scored four runs to stake him to a 4-0 lead. Mitchell got into some trouble in the fifth inning, and coach John Neph decided to bring Gillespie back in to pitch. It didn’t help, as the Cardinals were able to score four runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game, 4-4.

Onekama rallied for a run in the top of the sixth to take the lead, and Gillespie managed to hold the Cardinals off in the bottom of the inning.

Tayler Fraly walked to start the Portagers’ rally, and stole second. He advanced to third when the Cardinal catcher’s throw went over the second baseman’s head. Mitchell hit a ground ball that enabled Fraly to score the winning run.

But, the Cardinals made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with out. Onekama got out of the jam, however, when Gillespie coaxed the next two batters to fly out — the first on a short pop up, and the other on a fly ball to center field.

With the Cardinals’ number three hitter at bat, Gillespie got him to hit a ground ball right back to the mound. He fielded it cleanly, and threw to first baseman Nate Griswold for the third out. “There were two of the most of the most outstanding defensive plays that I think I’ve ever seen as a coach,” Neph said. “Justin Sedelmaier, with two on and two outs, went all the way back to the fence in right center, caught the ball and then collided with the fence ... and still hung on to the ball. It was a fantastic catch. Mitchell had an outstanding play when he was pitching. It was a big hopper that almost went over his head. He jumped up in the air, snagged it, and threw over to first. Gillespie was playing second base, the kid hit a line drive up the middle, and Dave just took about two steps, laid out and caught it on the edge of the (glove’s) webbing.”

Onekama improved to 8-2 in the league, and 13-3 overall. The Portagers are at home Monday against Manistee Catholic Central, starting at 4:30 p.m.

Brethren splits with Free Soil

FREE SOIL — Brethren dropped a half-game behind Onekama in the Western Michigan D League baseball race with a split of Thursday afternoon’s doubleheader. The Bobcats won the first game, 3-1. Free Soil came back to take the nightcap, 8-5. Jason Dean was the winning pitcher in the first game. He had seven strike outs. Nick Clark, Zach Zupin and Dean were each 2-for-4 to lead Brethren hitting attack. Ryan Rappuhn stole three bases. Bob Blehm had one hit and scored a run. Billy Corser had a double. Mike Bennett had a double and scored a run. In the second game, Blehm was 2-for-4, with one double and scored two runs to lead Brethren. Alex Sexton was 2-for-3, with a double and scored a run. Zupin was 2-for-3. Corey Carter was 1-for-3 and scored a run. Brethren is now 9-3 in the conference, while the Bobcats are 13-5 overall.

Contact Greg Gielczyk at: sportsmna@pioneergroup.net.