EAST LANSING – The Haslett baseball program was finally selected into the field of the annual Dean Shippey Diamond Classic this season for the first time since 2016. After making the cut, the Vikings set a goal to not only be part of the tournament, but make some noise when they got there.
That’s exactly what the Vikings did, and it took just five innings to do it. Haslett amassed 14 hits en route to a 13-2 mercy-rule win over Portland, who made the Diamond Classic final last season.
“This is something that these seniors have really wanted to do and be a part of, and it’s been a goal of ours for a long time, so it’s a really good feeling,” Haslett coach Hudson Whitmore said. “We like to swing the bat, so whenever we can get people running and moving, it puts the defense in a tough position. I wasn’t expecting our bats to come alive that much, but the guys really answered the call.
Portland opened the scoring in the first inning when senior catcher Brody Moore cranked a ball to center field, deep enough to score the runner from third on a sacrifice fly. Junior shortstop Connor Fox would drive in another run in the inning on an RBI single to left field.
Haslett responded in a big way in the bottom of the frame, starting when senior catcher Zach Curtis delivered an RBI single to center. Haslett would tie the game in the next at bat, when a grounder to third turned into an errant throw to first, allowing a run to cross the plate.
Curtis, one of the 10 seniors on Haslett’s roster, was a big reason why the Vikings moved on, driving in three runs and throwing out two runners attempting to steal.
“It was a lot of fun being able to have this experience at play here for the first time, it was amazing,” Curtis said. “We had faced (Portland) a few times, and they’re a good team, but we knew we would get the job done. The energy from everyone was incredible, and hitting is contagious.”
Freshman second baseman Austin Prinz would drive home two more runs on a two-out single to shallow right field to put the Vikings ahead after one inning. Haslett’s bats didn’t cool off from there, with senior outfielder Kai Schaefer driving in two more runs with RBI singles in the second and third innings, and senior designated hitter Jacob Rienstra bringing in Schaefer on a hit in the third inning.
Sophomore pitcher Jackson Barrager allowed just two runs while striking out three Portland batters over four and two-thirds innings of work. Senior Matthew Hood came in to record the final out of the game.
Barrager also started the scoring in a five-run fourth inning for the Vikings with an RBI double to center field.
Haslett will face Okemos on May 21 in the quarterfinals of the Diamond Classic at 5 p.m. at McLane Stadium on Michigan State’s campus. Portland has a game at St. Johns on May 26 before beginning district play on May 30.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Haslett baseball makes statement, mercy rules Portland in Diamond Classic
Reporting by Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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