ADRIAN, Mich. — The Whiteford baseball team didn't have much time to celebrate a Division 3 regional title on Saturday at Adrian College.
Thirty minutes after receiving a trophy for their 5-2 win over Jackson Lumen Christi and knocking head coach Terry Pant to the ground in the celebration process, the Bobcats were back on the field to take on Bridgman in a state quarterfinal game.
In the quarterfinal game, missed opportunities cost Whiteford as the Bobcats fell 4-3 to Bridgman in a nine-inning heartbreaker.
“I think the change of pitching speed from the first game to this game threw us off for a little bit,” Pant said.
“We weren't putting it in play like we needed to. But we jumped on them for three [runs] and I thought maybe we were in a good spot right now and we broke this open. But that's a good team over there and they did what they are supposed to do and battled right back and tied it up.
“It went back and forth there and I guess that's the way it's supposed to be in the quarterfinal.”
Whiteford sophomore starting pitcher Nate Stevens and Bridgman sophomore starter Charlie Pagel matched each other for five scoreless innings.
In the top of the sixth, Whiteford broke through for three runs.
Shea Ruddy started the inning with an infield single. After Logan Tammerine walked and Luke Rasor was hit by a pitch, Stevens came through with a 2-RBI single. Ryin Ruddy followed with a bunt single that scored a run.
Still with no outs, the Bobcats missed a chance to score more when Jake Giesige lined out and Stevens was doubled up off second base. Luke Vida popped up to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, Bridgman came roaring back and finally got to Stevens with a two-out rally that included a hit-by-pitch and three run-scoring singles.
The back-and-forth sixth inning was preceded by Whiteford missing a golden opportunity to take the lead in the fifth.
Giesige hit the ball over the head of the Bridgman left fielder and the ball rolled all the way to the wall. With Giesige approaching third for a triple, the throw into the infield missed the cut-off man and Giesige tried to score. The throw to the plate was a close play and Giesige was called out.
With runners on first and second base later in the inning, Brendon Masters was picked off first base to end the inning.
“That's what I told them after the game is we missed our opportunities,” Pant said. “I see the point of sending him there. It was a 0-0 game and no one was doing anything. It was a bang-bang play and, from my vantage point, I thought he was under [the tag]. But that's the umpire's call and he made that call.
“We had our opportunities, though, and we didn't capitalize when we needed to in a big game.”
Rasor came on in relief for Whiteford in the seventh inning and shut down the Bees until the ninth.
Riley Gloe opened the inning with a single and, after Ethan Stine struck out on a foul bunt, Nolan Roberts executed a bunt single. Alec MacMartin then came through with the game-winning single to score Gloe from second base.
In the first game, Tammerine was effective on the mound, limiting Jackson Lumen Christi to just one run in his six innings of work.
After taking an early 2-0 lead, Lumen Christi scored in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 2-1. Whiteford scored two runs in the top of the sixth on just one hit to stretch the lead to 4-1.
Rasor notched his second RBI single of the game in the seventh. Masters came on in relief in the bottom half and allowed a leadoff double to score but then closed out the game by forcing three straight groundouts.
“We had fun and it was a good journey and a good season,” Stevens said.
“I love these guys. At the of the day, they are my brothers and we had a good journey and I enjoyed the ride.”
First Published June 10, 2023, 9:33 p.m.
