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	The Manchester Enterprise A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Flying Dutchmen rally past Grass Lake

Three runs in top of eighth helps Dutch back to .500 mark

By Ed Patino, Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: May 10, 2007

The Manchester varsity baseball team had to work overtime, but saved its best for the end.

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After tying the game in the top of the seventh inning, the Flying Dutchmen plated three more in the eighth en route to a 4-1 victory over the Grass Lake Warriors in last Friday's Cascades Conference game.

After playing five scoreless innings, Manchester (5-5, 4-3 Cascades) appeared to be in trouble when the Warriors plated a run in the bottom of the sixth. Randy Casey bailed the Dutchmen out an inning later by reaching base and later scoring on Will Rickert's sacrifice fly.

Senior pitcher Ryan Galaska and the Manchester defense retired the Warriors in the bottom of the inning, setting up the Dutchmen's surge.

Mike Steenson gave Manchester a 2-1 lead in the top of the eighth when he scored on a Grass Lake fielding error. Two batters later, Alex Kastanis belted an RBI double, scoring Jared Huber.

"Alex is hitting the ball hard and putting it in play, which is what we ask," Manchester coach Corey Fether said. "He hasn't had a bad at-bat in a while."

Kastanis finished the scoring when he came home on another fielding error by the Warriors, then Galaska slammed the door in the bottom of the eighth.

The pitchers combined for 20 strikeouts in the game. Galaska went the distance on the mound, scattering five hits and striking out 11.

"Ryan was outstanding and so were the Grass Lake pitchers," Fether said. "It was one of the best pitching games I've been a part of on both sides."

The Dutchmen had seven hits in the game. Kastanis led the way, going 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and run scored. Huber finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and run, while Rickert and Galaska each added a hit and RBI for Manchester.

"We scattered our hits and still left 12 men on base," Fether said. "But when the pitchers are throwing well, you have to take what they give you and put the ball in play when they make a bad pitch. We capitalized on their miscues in the eighth."

Wednesday's game at Napoleon took place after the newspaper's deadline. The Dutchmen will host a doubleheader with Addison on Friday. The teams are playing a doubleheader after their first scheduled meeting April 25 was postponed due to rain.

Dutchmen at

Michigan Center

After making one rally, the Flying Dutchmen fell short of another in a 4-3 loss to the Michigan Center Cardinals in a conference showdown May 2.

A game featuring the defending Cascades Conference co-champions saw both teams exchange the momentum throughout. Michigan Center (9-5) plated the game's first two runs in the bottom of the second inning, but the Dutchmen answered with two of their own in the fifth.

With the bases loaded, Steve Mulcare delivered a two-RBI double, scoring Kastanis and Brandon Hone and making it 2-2. Manchester shut down the Cardinals in the bottom of the inning, but Michigan Center shifted the tide in the sixth. Two Manchester errors helped the Cardinals push across two runs for a 4-2 lead.

Galaska gave the Dutchmen life when he blasted a solo home run in the top of the seventh, but Michigan Center held on for the victory.

Manchester out hit the Cardinals 8-5 in the game. Hone went 2-for-4 at the plate to lead Manchester's attack, while Mulcare finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Galaska was 1-for-4 with an RBI and run, and Huber, Rickert, Kevin Fielder and Justin Welton each collected a hit for the Dutchmen.

"Offensively I liked our approach at the plate," Fether said. "We made them make plays, but Michigan Center is a very fundamentally sound team."

It was a tough pitching loss for Rickert. The sophomore allowed four runs on four hits and struck out eight in five innings.

"Will was tough and they struggled against his curveball and high heat," Fether said.

Galaska pitched one inning for Manchester, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Staff Writer Ed Patino can be reached at 428-8173 or epatino@heritage.com.