On Friday, May 17, the Grand Rapids Community College baseball team saw their season come to a disappointing end after they were beaten by Kellogg Community College 14-6, and Jackson College, 5-4 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 12 Semifinals Tournament in Jackson.
“Very proud of our team,” said Coach Mike Eddington. “They always found a (way) to win – at one point winning 34-36 (games). We had a successful year. I think jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning of the winners’ bracket and then losing took the wind out of our sail. Jacob and Lucas had a great year…We do a big background check when recruiting, our kind of player (has) great references that were “earned”, (a) good teammate/excels in the classroom, is passionate about being great, open to learning, want(s) to be successful on & off the field.”
Game One
In the first game vs KCC, GRCC took the early lead in the top of the first inning after sophomore designated hitter Dylan Nguyen singled to left field, advancing sophomore right fielder Aaron Bess to second base, and scoring sophomore center fielder Trevin Laming from third base, making it 1-0 Raiders. Also in the first inning, freshman first baseman Jacob Pitt singled to right field, advancing Nguyen to third, and scoring Bess from second, 2-0 Raiders. Freshman left fielder Ty Sandwick then tripled to center field, scoring Nguyen from third and Pitt from first, extending their lead to 4-0. Sandwick then scored on a wild pitch, coming home to score from third base, making the lead 5-0 Raiders. Laming then flew out to left field, a sacrifice fly, scoring freshman catcher Joey Hysell from third base, pushing the lead to 6-0 Raiders.
In the bottom of the first inning, KCC got on the board after sophomore catcher Diego Pena singled to left field, advancing freshman third baseman Hayden Winger to second, and scoring freshman second baseman Andrew Piasecki from second base, getting KCC on the board to make it 1-6 Bruins. Also in the first inning, freshman left fielder Grant Welch was hit by the pitch, advancing Winger to second and Pena to third, and scoring sophomore first baseman Donovan Thompson from third base, 6-2 Raiders.
In the bottom of the second inning, Piasecki was hit by the pitch, advancing sophomore center fielder Cody Hultink to second, freshman designated hitter Jacob Martin to third, and scoring freshman shortstop Cole Mason from third base to cut the lead in half making it 6-3 Raiders. Thompson then singled to right field, advancing Piasecki to third, and scoring Hultink from second and Martin from third 6-5 Raiders. Winger then grounded out to shortstop, scoring Thompson from third, tying the game 6-6. Thompson then advanced to second on a wild pitch, scoring Piasecki from third, giving the Bruins the lead, 7-6.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Mason reached on a fielder’s choice to shortstop, Welch was thrown out at second, and Winger scored from third, pushing their lead to 8-6.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Welch hit a two-run home run to left center field, scoring Winger from first base, 10-6 Bruins. The Bruins had scored 10 unanswered runs.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Piasecki bunted and reached first base on a fielder’s choice to the pitcher then advanced to second on a throwing error by the pitcher, Hultink advanced to second and scored on the error and Martin advanced to third and scored on the error, 12-6 Bruins. Winger then reached on another fielder’s choice to shortstop, Pena was thrown out at second base, advancing Thompson to third, and scoring Piasecki from third, 13-6 Bruins. Welch then singled to left center field, advancing Winger to third, and scoring Thompson, 14-6 Bruins which was the final score in seven innings.
For GRCC, freshman right-handed pitcher Camden Seth got the start, pitching only one inning, striking out one, and giving up five runs on five hits and one walk. Freshman right-handed pitcher Andrew Pohlmann came in relief for Seth, falling to 1-3 on the season and pitching 5.1 innings and throwing two strikeouts, and giving up nine runs on 10 hits, five walks and one home run.
For KCC, freshman right-handed pitcher David Zilch got the start, pitching 0.1 innings and throwing one strikeout, giving up six runs on five hits and two walks. Freshman left-handed pitcher Connor Apligian came in relief for Zilch, improving to 3-0 on the season, pitching 3.2 innings and throwing three strikeouts, as well as giving up two hits and one walk. Freshman right-handed pitcher Cameron Reichel came in relief for Apligian, earning his third save on the year, and pitching three innings and throwing three strikeouts.
Game Two
In the second game vs JC, GRCC once again scored first in the bottom of the first inning after Nguyen reached on a fielder’s choice to shortstop, Bess was thrown out at third, scoring freshman shortstop Chad Fisher Jr. from third, 1-0 Raiders.
In the top of the third inning, JC got on the board thanks to a sacrifice fly by freshman left fielder Mitchell Smith, scoring freshman designated hitter Caden Oliver from third, tying the game at 1-1. Sophomore second baseman Jared Kramp then doubled down the right field line, scoring sophomore right fielder Derek Tomalak from second, 2-1 Jets. Sophomore first baseman Marcus Patton then singled to right field, scoring Kramp from second, 3-1 Jets.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Nguyen singled on a bunt, then advanced to second on a throwing error by the pitcher, advancing Bess to second and home to score, 3-2 Jets. Hysell then singled to left field, scoring Nguyen from third, tying the game at 3-3.
In the top of the sixth inning, Tomalak singled down the right field line, then was thrown out at second, scoring sophomore center fielder Logan Christophel from third, 4-3 Jets.
In the bottom of the top of the ninth inning, Patton singled to left center field, then was thrown out at second, scoring Kramp from third, making it 5-3 Jets. 5-3 turned out to be the final score as the JC eliminated the Raiders in nine innings.
For GRCC, freshman left-handed pitcher Canyen Veldhouse got the start for the Raiders, pitching 6.2 innings and throwing three strikeouts, and giving up four runs on 10 hits. Freshman right-handed pitcher Ohlen Bond came in relief for Veldhouse and fell to 3-1 on the season and pitched 1.2 innings and threw one strikeout, and gave up one run on four hits and one walk. Freshman right-handed pitcher Thano Klett came in relief for Bond, pitching 0.2 innings and throwing one strikeout.
For JC, sophomore right-handed pitcher Nathan Tappenden got the start, pitching five innings and throwing four strikeouts, and gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks. Freshman right-handed pitcher Caleb Niese came in relief for Tappenden, pitching two innings and gave up only one hit. Freshman right-handed pitcher Dylan Bloink came in relief for Niese, improving to 2-0 on the season, pitching one inning and throwing one strikeout, and gave up two walks. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Grant Teschendorf came in relief for Bloink, and came out of the game after only giving up a walk. Freshman right-handed pitcher Lucas Dawson came in relief for Teschendorf, earning his 13th save on the season and pitching only one inning.
Because of the losses, GRCC’s hopes of reaching the NJCAA Division II (2) World Series which is to be played in Enid, Oklahoma next week, have been dashed. Now 36-12, and 20-0 in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Northern Conference, the Raiders have plenty to be proud of this season after being the number-one team in their conference and earning a playoff berth in the NJCAA Region 12 Tournament.
