high school baseball : All posts

rankings: Saline baseball earns No. 1 spot, hopes for league title in makeup with Temperance Bedford

Saline payers gather before the start of a 2012 quarterfinal game.

Jeffrey Smith | AnnArbor.com file

The Saline baseball team had to call the second game of its April 26th doubleheader against Temperance Bedford with the score tied 7-7 after six innings.

Now, it’s hoping to make the trip south sometime next week to finish that game, with a league title on the line.

Prep Roundup: Skyline baseball splits with first-place Temperance Bedford and more Monday results

• For complete Monday prep results, visit Mlive's High School Sports Network

With Poll: AnnArbor.com Team of the Week poll looks to keep momentum going

We’re coming off two great Team of the Week polls, a combined 4,500 votes cast in the past two weeks.

Prep Roundup: Mackenzie Sapp's hat trick sends Pioneer girls soccer to big win and more Thursday results

• For complete results from Thursday, visit Mlive's High School Sports Network

rankings: Saline cleaning up with top baseball, softball and track teams

Tyler Palka runs for the Saline track team in a Tuesday meet against Huron.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

The biggest track and field events of the year -- regional finals and state finals -- are closer than you might think. Regionals are coming up two weeks from Friday.

Brody Stevens hopes to become next athlete to compete for both Skyline and USA Hockey

Brody Stevens looks at a pitch during Skyline's game at Chelsea Monday afternoon.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

• Related: Skyline baseball aiming for 20-win season, and it's off to a good start

Brody Stevens went to two sports team tryouts last month, and did well at both of them — but that may soon be a problem.

team of the week: Skyline baseball aiming for 20-win season, and it's off to a good start

• Related: Brody Stevens hopes to become next athlete to compete for both Skyline and USA Hockey

The Skyline baseball team’s goal every year is to win 20 games, and it’s hard to come closer than it did last year.

The Eagles opened districts with a 19-15 record, and drew Pioneer in a quarterfinal game. The game went to extra innings after both pitchers threw complete games, but ended for Skyline on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The result was short of the team’s goals, but still marked progress for the third-year varsity program.

with gallery: Skyline baseball sharp in doubleheader sweep of Chelsea

Skyline High School was playing its second game with house money. And it played like it had nothing to lose.

Skyline baseball wins third AnnArbor.com Team of the Week poll

The Skyline High School boys baseball team knows how to close out a win.

Saline loses baseball state semifinal to Hudsonville, 4-3

BATTLE CREEK -- There’s a reason it's called a "suicide squeeze.” It's a play that can bring triumph or tragedy.

Unfortunately for the Saline High School baseball team, it suffered the latter in a 4-3 loss to Hudsonville in a Division 1 state semifinal game at Bailey Park in Battle Creek.

The Hornets, who successfully employed the play twice in a quarterfinal win against Livonia Stevenson earlier this week, saw a sixth-inning rally -- and their bid for a state championship -- end when it failed on Saturday.

“We’ve had some success with it this season, it’s worked for us. It’s a play we feel good with. We just didn’t get it down,” said Saline coach Scott Thesien. “It’s worked for us and we’re just going to keep playing our game.”

with gallery: Back to Battle Creek: Saline baseball headed to championship weekend for 4th time in 5 years

This story was updated with additional details and postgame reaction.

The Saline High School baseball team is Battle Creek-bound for the fourth time in five years.

Senior pitcher Brent Vaccaro threw a complete-game five-hitter, sophomore Michael Hendrickson had a game-winning RBI double and the Hornets -- state runners-up in 2008, 2009 and 2010 -- beat Livonia Stevenson 5-1 in a Division 1 quarterfinal Tuesday at the University of Michigan’s Ray Fisher Stadium.

“Once I got two strikes, you got to shorten up and try to take it to right,“ Hendrickson said of his game-winning hit in the fifth inning. “(Stevenson reliever Michael Kanitra) actually left one inside and I hit it down the line ... and we’re going to Battle Creek.”

Saline (29-10) will play Hudsonville (29-5) in a state semifinal at 1 p.m. Friday at Bailey Park in Battle Creek. Warren DeLaSalle and Howell will meet in the other semifinal.

Related content: Boxscore | Division 1 bracket

With the score tied 1-1 in the fifth inning, Hendrickson roped a ball down the third-base line to score pinch runner Brandon Gordon with the go-ahead run.

“He’s a competitive kid. He’s a kid who puts the ball in play, he doesn’t strike out a lot,” said head coach Scott Theisen. “We felt like he was going to move it somewhere and fortunately he put it in a spot where they couldn’t field it.”

Later that inning, Saline’s Andrew White scored on a throwing error after he was caught in a run-down between third and home.

The Hornets added two more runs in the sixth inning. A Trent Theisen sacrifice fly scored Stefan Hastings and, one batter later, Gage Hammond scored on an Austin Hauck triple, making it 5-1.

Not that Saline needed the cushion.

Vaccaro threw limited the Spartans to one unearned run while striking out seven. He said it was the Hornets' game plan that helped him out on the mound.

“I just wanted to go out there and make sure I got ahead of the batters and keep them off balance,” Vaccaro said.

In the top of the fifth, Vaccaro was in a jam with the bases loaded and one out. But he managed to strike out No. 5 hitter Chris McDonald and followed that by getting Nicholas Lagerstrom to pop out to end the inning.

“I tried to make sure the first kid didn’t put the ball in play. And the next kid, just go right at him and try to get him out,” Vaccaro said.

Hammond said getting out of that jam motivated the team offensively.

“We knew we needed to that. Everybody was fired up and those were two big outs to get,” Hammond said. “We knew that was going to bring them down a bit and we had to take advantage. And we did.”

Hammond was 2-for-4 on the day with a stolen base and two runs scored. White, Hendrickson and Hastings added two hits apiece.

Three errors in the middle innings led to Stevenson's only run and were a key factor in the Spartans loading the bases in the fifth.

“We made a few mistakes behind (Vaccaro) and, really, he didn’t get himself in that jam,” said Scott Theisen. “We felt comfortable that he was going and going well.”

Although their coach has been to Battle Creek many times, a majority of the Hornet players have not. But that doesn’t mean they don’t know what’s expected of them.

“It’s going to have to take a lot more intensity. We’re going to have to fight a little bit harder,” said Hammond. “We don’t have the D-I athletes or anybody that can do one thing alone. So we just have to fight harder as a team. We all have to contribute.”

with gallery: Chelsea baseball team loses quarterfinal game to St. Joseph, 7-5

This story was updated with additional details and postgame reaction.

After winning one-run games in three of its first four postseason contests, the Chelsea High School baseball team found itself on the losing end of a close game Tuesday.

The Bulldogs lost 7-5 to St. Joseph in an MHSAA quarterfinal at the University of Michigan’s Ray Fisher Stadium after the Bears scored twice in the top of the seventh inning.

“They just played their butts off, like we did,” said Chelsea junior Alex Maloney. “Today, they were the better team.”

Saline, Chelsea baseball teams play quarterfinals Tuesday at U-M's Ray Fisher Stadium

Two Washtenaw County high school baseball teams remain alive in the MHSAA postseason.

Both play Tuesday, right here in Washtenaw County.

Chelsea faces St. Joseph at 1 p.m. in a Division 2 quarterfinal, followed by a Division 1 matchup between Saline and Livonia Stevenson at the University of Michigan's Ray Fisher Stadium.

Tickets are $5 and available at the gate.

with gallery: After semifinal scare, Chelsea baseball team wins first regional title since 2007

Call it a bit of home-field advantage that helped the Chelsea High School baseball team claim a Division 2 regional championship Saturday.

The Bulldogs beat Trenton, 12-6, on their home field to win their first regional title since 2007. But if the left field fence at the stadium were five feet closer to home plate, Chelsea's season would have been over before it had a chance to win a championship.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 5-4 semifinal win against Carlton Airport earlier in the day, the Jets' Alex Quirie hit a ball deep to left field that had a chance to be a game-winning home run. Chelsea's Caleb Bentley made a running catch on the warning track to seal the Bulldogs' victory.

“For sure, I thought it was gone. And so did everyone else,” said Chelsea pitcher Alex Maloney. “Bentley made a great play on it.”

Justin Goike no-hitter earns Saline a baseball regional title; Dexter and Gabriel Richard eliminated

With its fifth Division 1 regional title in the past six years on the line, the Saline High School baseball team put the ball in Justin Goike’s hand for Saturday’s championship game.

Allen Park never had a chance against the 6-foot-2 senior right-hander.

Goike threw a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts in the Hornets’ 8-0 win at Monroe High School, which continued the team’s dominant tournament run.

Including an 11-1 win over Wayne Memorial in Saturday’s semifinal game, Saline has outscored its four postseason opponents by a combined score of 46-3.

4 Washtenaw County baseball teams claim district titles, Milan lone softball winner

Some title games were easier (Saline's 18-0 win over Monroe) than others (Chelea's 5-4, extra-inning win over Adrian), but four Washtenaw County high school baseball teams won district titles on Saturday.

Dexter beat Huron and Father Gabriel Richard topped Manchester to join the party headed to regional play.

Local softball teams weren't quite as fortunate. Only Milan will be advancing to a regional.

High school roundup: Huron and Pioneer will play in girls lacrosse regional final and more Tuesday results

The girls lacrosse teams from Huron and Pioneer high schools will go head-to-head for a spot in the MHSAA Division 1 state semifinals.

And if their first meeting is any indication, it should be a thrilling game.

The Huron girls lacrosse team, shown during a game earlier this season, takes on cross-town rival Pioneer in a Division 1 regional championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday in South Lyon.

Chris Asadian | AnnArbor.com

Both teams won regional semifinal games on Tuesday night, setting up their regional title match at 1 p.m. Saturday at South Lyon High School.

Huron (16-2), the No. 4-ranked team in the Division 1 laxpower.com ratings, beat Canton 14-6 on Tuesday.

The River Rats have not advanced past the regional final round since the MHSAA began sponsoring a championship tournament in the sport in 2005.

To get to the semifinals for the first time, the River Rats will have to get past cross-town rival Pioneer, which beat South Lyon Unified 10-6 on Tuesday.

Mercedes Reyes had three goals and three assists for No. 8 Pioneer (13-8-1), which led 4-3 at halftime. (Boxscore)

Goalkeeper Miranda Kruse made 11 saves, posting her best save percentage of the season.

Huron put a little more pressure on the Pioneers’ defense earlier this season, when the River Rats won a regular season game 20-19 in overtime. Huron's Mariel Ward scored the game-winning goal with 9 seconds left in overtime in that game, after Pioneer wiped out a six-goal lead over the final 9 minutes of regulation.

“We just try to get better every day,” Pioneer coach Zachary Maghes said. “If we keep ascending, we’ll have a chance.”

High school sports postseason hits fever pitch this week

MacKay Little (5), Zack Byron (1) and the rest of the Dexter baseball team play in a Division 1 district at Pioneer on Saturday.

Chris Asadian | AnnArbor.com

The spring high school sports season hits overdrive this week, when several postseason tournaments culminate in championships and others -- baseball, softball, girls soccer and boys golf -- kick off district tournament action.

There is a full slate of boys and girls lacrosse regional semifinals, soccer district games and baseball and softball pre-district games on Tuesday. Boys golf districts are played Thursday and Friday. Schedules for those tournaments can be found below.

Check back later in the week for previews of local teams and individuals competing in this weekend's girls water polo, girls tennis, and boys and girls track state championships.

photo gallery: Images from Dexter baseball's fundraiser game at Ray Fisher Stadium

The Dexter High School baseball team took on rival Chelsea at the University of Michigan's Ray Fisher Stadium on Monday. Dexter won the first game of the doubleheader by a comfortable 14-7 margin, while Chelsea took the nightcap, 3-1. (Game 1 Boxscore | Game 2 Boxscore)

The final score wasn't the only tally being kept as the game served as a fundraiser for a handicap accessible baseball diamond with a rubberized surface being built in Dexter.

with gallery: Special needs baseball league in Dexter raising funds for new field

Eight-year-old Libby Covert gets a big smile on her face when her mother, Kim Covert, mentions baseball.

Libby — whose special needs cause her to use a wheelchair — is shy around strangers, keeping her head down while Kim does the talking. Then Kim mentions baseball and Libby’s head pops up, revealing her toothy smile.

The sun is bright outside of Cornerstone Elementary School in Dexter, but Libby’s eyes suddenly have gone from squinting to wide with excitement.