The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
DELAYED ENDING
Grass Lake rallies after layoff to end Dutchmen's season
By Ed Patino, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: June 14, 2007
The third time was a charm for the Grass Lake varsity baseball team.
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Behind the pitching of Charlie Fisher and a fifth-inning eruption, the Warriors captured the Division 3 district championship with a 13-5 victory over the Manchester Flying Dutchmen at Clinton High School.
Grass Lake advanced to last weekend's Division 3 regional tournament, which it hosted. After defeating Riverview Gabriel Richard, the Warriors were stopped in the regional finals with an 18-3 loss to baseball powerhouse Blissfield. For the second straight year, Manchester (11-15) saw its season end in the district final.
The Dutchmen swept Grass Lake in the two-game regular season series, but the playoffs were a different story. With the game tied 2-2 after four innings, the Warriors exploded for nine runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
"We're disappointed because we thought we had a good shot to win the district," Manchester coach Corey Fether said. "Errors sometimes cost us the game throughout the season, and we didn't capitalize on the other team's mistakes. This season was frustrating based on that fact."
The game began June 2 and ended four days later. Thunderstorms moved through Clinton in the second inning Saturday, forcing the game to be stopped. The teams tried to make up the game June 4, but another line of rain forced another delay June 5.
The Dutchmen got off to a good start before the stoppage. Justin Welton's double in the first inning scored Alex Kastanis and Ryan Galaska, giving Manchester a 2-0 lead it held for four days.
"I've never been part of a game under those circumstances," Fether said. "It's hard to have a layoff like that, and it didn't help us at all. But they had to go through the same thing."
The delay had a positive affect on Fisher. After allowing the two runs in the first inning, the junior kept Manchester scoreless over the next five innings. For the game, Fisher had nine strikeouts and allowed three runs on four hits in six innings.
"Fisher struggled on Saturday but threw better on Tuesday," Fether said. "That was the best I've ever seen him pitch."
The Warriors tied the game after plating runs in the second and third innings. Two innings later, Grass Lake solved Manchester starting pitcher Galaska and reliever Kastanis for its nine-run frame, building an 11-2 lead.
The Dutchmen answered in the bottom of the sixth when Steven Mulcare scored on Jared Huber's flyout, but Grass Lake made it 13-3 with two more runs in the top of the seventh.
Manchester got to Grass Lake closer Casey Hall in the bottom of the frame with four hits and two runs. Will Rickert's RBI single scored Brandon Hone, then Welton's single brought home Galaska, bringing the Dutchmen to within 13-5, but the deficit was too deep.
"We were hoping our timing would be better in the playoffs," Fether said. "During the season, our hits came when we didn't have runners in scoring position."
Welton led the offense for Manchester, going 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs. Galaska finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored, while Mulcare and Hone both finished 1-for-3 and scored a run. Galaska took the pitching loss, allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits and striking out six in four innings.
Kastanis struck out three in 2 2/3 innings, but allowed seven runs (five earned) on nine hits.
Cameron Vanloon went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and a run scored to lead Grass Lake. John Lesinski was 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs, while Tom Niehaus went 1-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs. Austin Cole finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run and Travis Rubingh went 2-for-3 with three runs scored for the Warriors.
"Hopefully this makes us hungrier and know we have to work for it," Fether said. "For a few years we would just show up and win the district, but getting beat the last two years gives us something to prove and should make us work harder in the offseason."
The Dutchmen graduate seven seniors in Galaska, Kastanis, Mulcare, Hone, Kevin Fielder, Mike Steenson and Randy Casey.
"They brought a knowledge of the game and knew what had to be done in certain situations," Fether said.
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