LocalSportsJournal.com
MUSKEGON – When it comes to the state tournament, regular season records go out the window.
Western Michigan Christian baseball demonstrated that firsthand Saturday by capturing the school’s first regional title since 1985.
Entering the Division 4 regional title game with a 16-13 overall record, the Warriors appeared to have their hands full against a 27-3-2 Maple City Glen Lake team.
The Warriors pulled off the upset, beating Maple City Glen Lake 7-0. The impressive victory was backed by a complete game shutout by pitcher Max Miller.
“Max did a great job, by far his best game this season,” said WMC coach Darren Waller. “He didn’t walk anyone, he kept hitters off balance, I can’t say much more than that, he did a great job.”
Despite the score, the game was an exciting one for WMC, which rallied six runs in the top of the seventh inning to capture the victory and the regional title.
Catcher Nathan Clausing was credited with the game-winning RBI single in the sixth inning for WMC. Quint Menefee started the Warriors’ comeback with a single. Caleb McKay advanced Menefee to second with a single.
“We talked about the heart and how much we wanted it and that it would come down to who wanted it more,” Waller said. “The boys really wanted the regional.”
The Warriors defense won a key battle against Maple City Glen Lake in the bottom of the sixth.
With runners on second and third and one out, Miller was able to strike out Peter Gelsinger of Maple City Glen Lake. Miller was then able to block Aiden Gokey for what looked like an infield single. But Menefee rushed in from shortstop to make a sliding catch to end the inning and preserve the 1-0 lead.
In the seventh, WMC took advantage of three straight Laker errors.
First, Miller reached base on an error and then Luke Maat advanced Miller to second after reaching safely on another Laker error. Jack Sipe bunted, sending Miller and Maat to second and third. Another Lakers throwing error on Sipe’s bunt allowed Miller to cross the plate for a 2-0 lead.
Next up was Cody Folkema, who had extra pressure when WMC coach Darin Waller called for a squeeze tap. The pitch was high and far, but Folkema connected on a bunt just past a diving Laker pitcher. The play scored Maat and WMC led 3-0.
Menefee was next to step up for the Warriors and hit an RBI single for a 4-0 lead. Clausing then gave the Warriors a 6-0 lead with a two-run single to right field. Alex Wagenmaker’s single gave WMC a 7-0 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Miller was able to get three strikeouts as the Warriors closed out the regional title.
The victory advanced WMC to the quarterfinals against state powerhouse Beal City. The Aggies were too much and the Warriors fell 10-1.
“My game plan was to keep them off balance,” Waller said. “I tried to do that against Beal City too, but they’re a tough team and coming up against a guy who shoots 92, we really haven’t seen anyone who shoots that hard.”
Beal City weakened the Warriors, opening with one run in the first inning, four more in the second and two more in the third. The Aggies added a run in the fourth and two in the sixth.
Winning pitcher Cayden Smith, a Central Michigan University commit, allowed just two hits to WMC and helped advance his team to Friday’s 9 a.m. semifinal at Michigan State University against Vermontville Maple Valley.
McKay had both hits for WMC.
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