BATTLE CREEK – Gull Lake pitcher CJ Bennecke won’t be able to join his team in the next round, but he wanted to make sure his buddies made the trip to the regional finals anyway.
The Blue Devils’ Bennecke pitched Gull Lake to a 10-2 win over No. 17-ranked Hopkins in a Division 2 regional semifinal in baseball action at Harper Creek High School on Thursday, June 5.
No. 5-ranked Gull Lake advances to face Three Rivers in a Division 2 regional final at Stevensville-Lakeshore at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 7.
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Bennecke won’t be making the trip to Stevensville-Lakeshore due to a family event, but he did what he could to help his team when he could. Bennecke scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run, while striking out seven over six innings to get the win.
Gull Lake started fast with a 5-0 lead in the first inning.
“We had a big crooked number in the first and our pitcher gets a zero and we knew we were in control and felt good about our chances,” Gull Lake coach Reggie Walters said. “Our pitcher is one of our dudes. He can’t be here this weekend, but he threw a gem today.
“He has his sister’s wedding, so he has to go to that. She didn’t look at the calendar,” Walters added with a laugh. “So he won’t be with us in the next round, but he did his job today.”
Gull Lake has been down this road before, so it knows what it takes to keep playing.
Just last year, Gull Lake advanced all the way to the state semifinals and the Blue Devils are looking to do that again.
“The guys know what to expect after last year. Having familiarity is big,” Walters said. “They know what to do now, so it’s cool.”
Gull Lake had 10 hits overall. Luke Anderson led the way, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored with Max Markham coming up with two RBIs. John Lucki added a two-run home run in the seventh inning to help put the game away.
Much of the team returns from last year’s trip to the Final Four, which was played on the campus of Michigan State University. A big day on Saturday, in the regional finals and the quarterfinals, will get the Blue Devils back there again. If Gull Lake beats Three Rivers in the regional final, it would face the winner of No. 1-ranked Ada Forest Hills Eastern vs. Hudsonville Unity Christian in a state quarterfinal game on Saturday.
“Getting that early start, big lead, was huge for us. Huge for our pitcher. CJ had a great game,” Lucki said. “The guys were really confident the whole day. We know what to do this time of year. Just be prepared for every game and try to get back to Michigan State. that’s the goal.”
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter @billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Gull Lake advances to regional finals. But, why won’t its winning pitcher be joining them?
Reporting by Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer / Battle Creek Enquirer
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