Bulldogs fall against Gabriel Richard in semifinals
EAST LANSING — Rudyard’s baseball season ended with a 10-3 loss against Riverview Gabriel Richard in the Division 4 semifinals Thursday at Michigan State University’s McLane Stadium.
The Bulldogs finish 28-7-1, making it to the semifinals for the fourth time in school history.
“The boys battled and gave it everything they had,” Rudyard coach Billy Mitchell said. “As a coaching staff, we couldn’t ask for anything more. Up until the last inning we were out-hitting them 5-2, we just couldn’t get runs on the board early. Their pitcher was doing a great job of getting ahead with a first pitch strike. We kept battling and were able to string together some hits in the 6th to make the game interesting.”
The Pioneers scored one run in the first inning, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to take a 4-0 lead.
Rudyard took advantage of three Pioneers’ errors and rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it a one-run game.
Rudyard’s big sixth inning started after two outs. Austin Warner singled to right field, followed by infield single by Tate Besteman deep in the hole at shortstop and Warner scored on a throwing error to first. Brett Mayer reached on a single up the middle, and Tanner Baker reached on an infield error. Besteman scored on another throwing error and Eli Sprague added an RBI single to make it 4-3. The inning ended when Baker was picked off at second.
The Pioneers answered with six runs in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to 10-3, which stood for the final.
Aiden Bickel, Warner, Besteman, Brett Mayer and Sprague had one hits each for Rudyard.
Brett Mayer started on the mound for the Bulldogs and went four innings, allowing three runs on one hit, while striking out four and walking six. EJ Suggitt pitched two innings and allowed seven runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.
Gabriel Richard pitcher Connor Silka worked six innings and allowed three runs on three hits, while strking out 11 and walking one. Ashton Nowak pitched one inning and did not give up any runs or hits, striking out two as he closed out the game.
Tylor Morehouse led the Pioneers’ offense, going 2-for-4 and scoring twice. The Pioneers finished with seven hits, while their defense overcame five errors.
Rudyard’s overall baseball winning streak was stopped at 22 games. Rudyard made it to the Final Four in baseball, football and basketball the past two seasons. Bulldogs’ seniors included Suggitt, Brett Mayer, Tate Besteman and Austin Warner.
“I feel so blessed to be able to have coached EJ, Tate, Austin and Brett,” Mitchell said. “This group of seniors will be a group of athletes the community of Rudyard will be talking about for a long time. There are not many athletes in the U.P. or state, that can say they played in a football, basketball and baseball final four. These guys can.”
Riverview Gabriel Richard (19-12) plays Beal City (30-2) in the Division 4 state championship game at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium.
Contact Sports Editor Rob Roos at rroos@sooeveningnews.com. Follow him on Twitter, @rroosTEN.
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Bulldogs fall against Gabriel Richard in semifinals
