ROGERS CITY – It came down to one last at-bat.
Trailing East Jordan 5-2 in an MHSAA Division 4 baseball regional semifinal rematch, Inland Lakes senior Aidan Fenstermaker hammered a deep shot to right center field. Had the ball dropped, the Bulldogs would’ve been one run away from dramatically tying things up after falling behind by five runs.
But in a contest that didn’t see a ton of great defensive plays, the Red Devils made a great one late.
Coming up with that game-winning play was East Jordan right fielder Max Beal, who made a running catch to halt a late Inland Lakes rally and seal a 5-2 victory in Rogers City on Wednesday.
“That play at the end, that’s not a play many kids make,” East Jordan coach Adam Grybauskas said. “He’s got wheels, and he’s made a few of those types of plays this year, and our defense came up big when they had to.”
It was a heartbreaking end for the Bulldogs (26-7), who hung in there against the Red Devils (28-5) despite being snake-bitten by errors.
“We got beat up a little bit in the infield today, but we were one swing away from tying up the game or a 5-4 game, and we were rolling right there – that’s baseball,” the Inland Lakes coach said. “Routine ground balls, some were tough to see, and a couple fly balls that weren’t caught, and that hurt us. I think (I-L pitcher Cash DePauw) only gave up one earned run, but I love (DePauw). Good kid. He’s right there with (East Jordan pitcher Korbyn Russell).”
Delivering a sensational pitching performance was Russell, who struck out 12 and allowed just two hits in a five-inning shutout performance that saw him throw exactly 75 pitches, before teammate Ryder Malpass tossed the last two innings for the Red Devils.
“He’s been lights out all year. He’s one of the best pitchers around,” Grybauskas said of Russell, a Michigan State University baseball signee. “We didn’t really talk about last year and it’s just been about this year’s group, and Korbyn took it as a challenge and really wanted to pitch well today, and he did that. He was dynamite and everybody played well behind him.”
The Red Devils took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when William Webb successfully beat an Inland Lakes tag attempt at home, while an RBI single from Russell extended East Jordan’s advantage to 2-0 in the top of the third.
Once Malpass took the mound in the bottom of the sixth, the Bulldogs had more success at the plate, as James Layman cut the deficit to 5-2 with a two-run single that scored Fenstermaker and Logan McMullen.
Wyatt Hanel provided the Bulldogs with one last chance by ripping a two-out single to put multiple runners on, but Beal’s outfield heroics put an end to Inland Lakes’ campaign.
“I love them,” Vieau said of his team, which won a fourth consecutive district crown this spring. “We coach them hard, that’s what we do, and we expect a lot out of them in situations like this, but this is a good group. They played hard, they fought until the last pitch, so that was good to see.”
While he took the loss, DePauw held his own against a potent East Jordan lineup, striking out 10, scattering six hits and walking three. Fenstermaker tossed the top of the seventh, striking out one.
Playing in their last game were Fenstermaker and McMullen, a duo that’s going to be tough to replace.
“Just proud of those two,” Vieau said of his seniors. “I’ve had both of them for four years and (assistant coach Dusty Saker) and I love them to death. They’re great kids and they’re going to be good young adults one day, so that’s what matters to us.”
Hanel led the Bulldogs with two hits, while Gus Carper added one.
Webb’s two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored fueled the Red Devils, who can capture their first regional title since 2008 with a victory over Gaylord St. Mary in Rudyard this weekend.
Russell had two hits, and Malpass and Beal rounded out the Red Devils with a hit apiece.
East Jordan’s clash with Gaylord St. Mary is at 12 p.m. on Saturday, with the winner to face the 10 a.m. Harbor Light-Norway final winner in a state quarterfinal later in the day.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: East Jordan holds off late Inland Lakes rally, tops Bulldogs in regional semifinal
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
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