HART – Hart baseball came up with mixed results at the B.C. Pizza Tournament on their home field Saturday, May 3. The Pirates did end their day on a positive note, defeating MCC in walk off fashion.
Hart started their day with a 5-3 loss to Ludington in a game that featured a defensive duel. The Pirates were able to gain an early 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning, taking advantage of back-to-back singles from Aiden Coker and Ty Schlukebir.
Each team traded scoreless half innings in the second, before Ludington claimed their first lead in the top of the third. An error by Coker at shortstop got the Orioles on base before a string of batters helped push three runs across.
Ludington’s Kaminski threw a masterclass from that point, sitting the Pirates down in order in the bottom of the third, fourth and fifth innings. The Orioles tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth, forcing Hart into a 5-1 hole with two half innings left for its offense to work.
Hart made a brief two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth as Coker doubled and an error on a Schlukebir at-bat allowed the Pirates to score. Avery Guikema managed to sit down the Orioles in order to end the top of the seventh, allowing the Pirates the chance to score four runs and walk it off in the final half inning.
Brendan Hiddema doubled to get the bats going, while Hunter Loudermilk singled to score Hiddema. That’s as far as the Pirates could get, falling by two runs to the Orioles.
Aiden Cull was given the loss after allowing two earned runs on six hits through four innings of work. Cull also struck out five. Guikema pitched three innings in relief, with two earned runs on four hits and three strikeouts.
The second game of the day was tightly contested between Hart and MCC. Similar to their’ bout with Ludington, the Pirates claimed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded thanks to a Schlukebir walk, Guikema single and an errant pitch that struck Coker, Hart scored when Hollis Rockwell IV was hit by a pitch, advancing Schlukebir home.
MCC battled back in the top of the third, scoring three runs before a single out was recorded. The Spartans closed out that frame with a fourth run to take a 4-1 lead over Hart.
Hart brought the deficit to just one run in the bottom of the fourth on a pop fly single from Halen Boos. Logan Jorissen scored on a wild pitch during Boos’ at-bat, while Boos’ single drove in Kevon Gray.
After the Spartans added one final run in the top of the sixth to lead 5-3, Hart’s bats went quiet until the seventh and final inning. In need of two runs to tie or three to walk it off, the Pirates stepped up in the biggest moment.
An MCC error allowed Rockwell IV to get on base immediately, while Hiddema singled to advance Rockwell IV to third. Jorissen was walked at the very next at-bat, putting the winning run on first.
Kyle Greiner got the scoring started for Hart, taking advantage of a fielding error to reach second, driving two runs in at the same time. Boos put a lid on the game, hitting a single that scored two runs and left the Pirates in front 6-5.
Pitching duties were split in the victory as Schlukebir went just over three innings, with three earned runs on five hits and six strikeouts. Guikema pitched three innings in relief with one earned run on two hits and one strikeout. Coker closed out the game in the final one-third inning, with one strikeout.
Leading the way at the plate was Coker who went 4-for-5 while Loudermilk was 2-for-3 and Boos went 2-for-8. Boos led the team with three runs batted in.
Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian took first in the tournament, defeating both Ludington and MCC.
