Gebhardt, Milan battle state-ranked Grosse Ile into extra innings
LIVONIA – “He pitched too good to lose.”
Milan baseball coach Adam Gilles wasn't going to allow Luke Gebhardt to fail in the finals of the Division 2 Regional at Livonia Franklin Saturday.
Not after Gebhardt poured his heart into 7 1/3 outstanding innings against one of the top teams in the state.
After Gebhardt retired the first hitter of the eighth inning, Gilles strode to the mound and asked for the baseball.
“He just said, 'Phenomenal game. Thank you for everything,'” Gebhardt recalled.
Milan wound up falling to 2-1 to No. 20 Grosse Ile, but Gilles could not find any fault with Gebhardt or the rest of his players.
“Obviously, losing is not fun,” Gilles told his team after the game. “But you guys were extraorindary today.”
The coach and Gibhardt shared a long embrace after the other players had cleared away with their families.
“That was an outstanding job, phenomenal,” Gilles said.
Gebhardt says he is the No. 4 man on Milan's pitching staff. Gilles said he may be No. 3.
Either way, it was a gutsy call to give him the ball for a Regional championship game when the Big Reds had all of their top arms available.
Gilles reasoned that Grosse Ile already had seen ace Connor Dessesslier twice this season in two earlier wins over Milan. And he wanted to have Dessesslier and Evan Morelock available if the Big Reds made it to the state quarterfinals later Saturday.
“I was playing to win the whole thing,” Gilles said. “I knew Luke would work hard and keep the ball down.”
The plan worked out even better than Gilles hoped.
A hard-hitting Grosse Ile team managed just three singles and no runs over the first five innings.
Connor Kawadri finally reached Gebhardt for a double in the sixth and Michael Madrigal followed with a single to knot the score at 1-1.
Catcher Cody Wikaryasz then picked Madrigal off second and Gebhardt ended the inning with a strikeout.
Gebhardt retired Grosse Ile in order in the seventh and set down the first hitter in the eighth before Gilles decided his junior hurler had given him more than he had a right to expect.
“I was not going to let him face the top of the lineup again,” Gilles said. “They had seen every pitch he throws.”
Gebhardt said he received word that he would be pitching Saturday the day before in practice.
“I woke up and it was just another day of pitching,” he said. “I was mainly using my curve and fastball. I just tried to keep the same mindset.”
Caleb Jones doubled with one out in the eighth to start the winning rally. Milan intentionally walked Tyler Garza, then got a fly out for the second out.
It looked like the Big Reds might wiggle out of the jam, but a seeing-eye single slipped between shortstop and third base to plate the winning run.
Milan grabbed a lead in the opening inning when Jaxon Marawski started the game with a solid single up the middle and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.
Singles by Holden Gates and Evan Morelock were the only other hits Milan mustered off Madrigal, but the Big Reds had plenty of good swings.
Garza at third base and Jones at shortstop kept making phenomenal defensive plays for Grosse Ile.
Milan finishes with a 17-14 record.
“We put on a show this season,” Gebhardt said. “Going into the District we were 14-14 and we ended up in the Sweet 16.”
The Big Reds must say goodbye to seniors Morelock, Ryder Knox, Jett Isaacs and Ethan Gerhardt.
“They gave us great leadership,” Gilles said. “Three times before we made it this far and every time we've had great senior leaders.”
Milan has a solid core returning for next season.
“We have high expectations, but the league still will be brutally tough again,” Gilles said.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Gebhardt, Milan battle state-ranked Grosse Ile into extra innings
