Today:

TOP JOBS MEDICAL ASST. Full time for busy pediatric office in Brownstown. Fax resume: 734-671-7690 Occupational MEDICINE MEDICAL ASSISTANT Expanding Occupational Medicine clinic has immedia...  [ View All Top Jobs ] TOP AUTOS TAURUS SE 1998 80K, V6, clean, must see, newer tires/brakes, $2400. 734-282-9594 DAMON DAYBREAK 31 ft. 2001, sleeps 5, drivers side door, only 2,400 miles, $33,500. Monroe...  [ View All Top Autos ] TOP HOMES WYANDOTTE 3 unit apartment building. 3 years old. $70,000 down with land contract. % 7.25.... WESTLAND MEADOWS 14'x80' Redman 3 bedroom 2 Bathroom Central Air New Furnace All Major App...  [View All Top Homes ] TOP RENTALS LINCOLN PARK 3 bedroom, 1 bath, Exc. condition! $900/mo. For more info: 313-948-3876 TAYLOR WOODS APARTMENTS 10750 Mt. Vernon. 1 bdrm., central air & pool. $200 move-in specia...  [ View All Top Rentals ] TOP MERCHANDISE iSOLD It Ann Arbor eBay Consignment Sales Colonnade Center - Eisenhower Parkway Mon-Sat. 1... FOR SALE Thomasville colonial style hutch, 42 in. square antique oak table w/ leaf, 4 colo...  [ View All Top MDSE ]   View Classifieds   Submit a TopAd        or call 1-877-888-3202

	The Manchester Enterprise A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Sand Creek pulls rally reversal on Dutchmen

Sixth-inning surge helps Aggies hand Manchester first loss

By Ed Patino, Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: April 19, 2007

After making a big rally in the fifth inning, it appeared that the Manchester varsity baseball team was on its way to its second win of the season.

Advertisement

The Sand Creek Aggies had other plans.

Fighting back with a big inning of its own, Sand Creek rallied for a 9-7 victory over the Flying Dutchmen in last Friday's non-conference game.

Manchester (1-1) erased a two-run deficit by scoring five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. However, the Aggies answered in the sixth with a seven-run outburst to grab a 9-5 lead. The Dutchmen plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but their second rally fell short.

"We had some control issues in the sixth inning," Manchester coach Corey Fether said. "The strike zone seemed to get smaller, and when we did find the grove, they started hitting our strikes."

Sand Creek grabbed a 2-0 lead thanks to runs in the third and fifth innings. The Aggies had a chance to pad their lead, but Justin Welton pitched the Dutchmen out of a jam to end the threat.

That set up Manchester's fifth inning rally. The Dutchmen had timely hits and capitalized on Sand Creek errors to plate five runs in the frame and grab a 5-2 lead.

For the game, the Aggies committed six errors, while Manchester was charged for one. Each team had six hits in the game.

"It seemed like we were winning, and the outcome doesn't really add up," Fether said. "It got away from us in the sixth inning."

The Dutchmen did a good job getting runners on base and setting up chances to score. However, they missed several of those opportunities, stranding 10 runners on base for the game.

"I'm pleased with the way we're getting on base," Fether said. "We're pressuring them every inning and putting ourselves in good situations. We just need to work on scoring those runs."

Brandon Hone and Will Rickert each went 2-for-4 at the plate with a RBI and run scored to lead the Dutchmen. Steve Mulcare was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run, while Lucas Sweet added a hit for Manchester.

Welton took the pitching loss in relief, allowing seven runs on three hits while striking out three in 1 1/3 innings. Rickert started the game, striking out five while allowing two runs on two hits in four innings for Manchester.

The Dutchmen's game against Grass Lake on Wednesday took place after the newspaper's deadline. They are scheduled to play at Vandercook Lake on Friday.

The bats came to life at the right time for the Flying Dutchmen.

Timely hitting led to six runs over two innings as Manchester rallied for a 7-6 victory over the Adrian Madison Trojans in the season opener April 10.

Trailing by five entering the bottom of the fourth, the Dutchmen plated four runs in the frame and then took the lead for good with two more in the fifth inning. The pitching of Sweet and Ryan Galaska helped Manchester shut the door on the Trojans.

"(Coming back) was our M.O. last year and it carried over," Fether said.

Grant Jobkar started the fourth inning rally with a two-RBI single that scored Sweet and Kevin Fielder, making it 6-3. Kastanis brought home Jobkar with a fielder's choice and then Galaska delivered an RBI single later in the frame, scoring Hone.

After holding the Trojans scoreless in the top of the fifth, the Dutchmen grabbed a 7-6 lead when Fielder belted a two-RBI double to score Welton and Rickert in the bottom of the frame.

"We seemed to get runners on every inning, but we did nothing with them until the fourth," Fether said.

Manchester's pitchers took over in the final two innings. Sweet held the Trojans scoreless in the sixth and then Galaska struck out two in the seventh for the save.

"Lucas settled down nicely," Fether said. "We were lucky to only give up two in the fourth, but he worked his way out of it and pitched well in the fifth and sixth innings."

Chastens started the game on the mound, allowing four runs on four hits and striking out four in three innings. Sweet fanned two in the middle three frames.

Fielder went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored to lead Manchester's attack. Welton finished 3-for-4 with a run, while Galaska was 2-for2 with two RBIs.