SMCC baseball team outlasts Flat Rock in 10-inning thriller

MONROE – St. Mary Catholic Central finally got the right guy in the right spot.

SMCC battled Flat Rock on the baseball field to a deadlock for nine innings Tuesday night.

Finally, Brennan Runyon provided a walk-off hit in the 10th inning to give the Falcons a 5-4 win.

“Brennan is our best hitter,” SMCC coach Jared Janssen said. “It’s always nice to get your leading hitter an opportunity like that.”

Cameron Cole led off the 10th with a single and scooted all the way to third on a single by Anthony Caladino. Flat Rock intentionally walked the next hitter to set up a force out at the plate.

It looked like that strategy might work as the Rams got an out on a pop up, but the left-handed swinging Runyon lined a ball into the left-centerfield gap to end the game.

“This was one of the funnest games I’ve ever been a part of,” Janssen said. “We’ve been telling the kids that we are right there. We just needed to take that final step to put us over the top. Hopefully, this will propel us.”

Caladino, Drew Bylow, and Runyon had two hits each for the 11-8 Falcons and Nolan Moore drove in two runs.

Bylow got the win in relief of Cole.

“Drew was a bulldog today to keep the game tied for the last four innings,” Janssen said. “He is our full-time catcher, but back-up catcher Griffin Worden has improved so much to allow us to get Drew on the mound.”

Worden started catching last season.

“Griffin has improved and gotten a lot better,” Janssen said. “We’ve gained confidence in him enough to have him catch even in a big league game like tonight. It really helps to have that option.

“He’s a really good athlete. He’s played infield, outfield and catcher for us. He just didn’t have a lot of experience back there.”

Evan Szalay and Sawyer Scott had two hits each for Flat Rock. Szalay drove in two runs. Mikey Giroux pitched well.

“What tough loss for the guys,” Flat Rock coach Josh Godfrey said. “We fought for 10 innings. We had our chances but could not pull it out.”

PREP SOFTBALL

Brown torches Madison

ADRIAN – Kiernan Brown drove in eight runs as Dundee whipped Adrian Madison 12-1 and 17-5 Tuesday.

Brown drove in three runs in the first game, then clubbed two homers and rang up five RBI in the second.

Kennedy Irwin drew seven walks, doubled and scored eight runs for the Vikings, who got strong pitching from Lauren Doane and Kaylee Imo.

Shay VanZandt scored five runs in the second game.

SMCC’s Piepsney excels

GIBRALTAR – Winning pitcher Olivia Piepsney helped her own cause with a pair of doubles and Camryn Gee homered and drove in three runs for St. Mary Catholic Central in a 7-6 win over Gibraltar Carlson Tuesday.

More: Airport graduate Bailey Martin hits .353, shows versatility in the field

Ava Auler and Kara Ludy collected two hits each and Addison Butt drove in three runs for Carlson.

Conard’s homer a winner

OTTAWA LAKE – Karlei Conard blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Whiteford a 4-2 win over Saline Tuesday.

Addeson Cousino stared the winning rally with a hard single up the middle, then Avy Wood was safe on an error while sacrificing Cousino to second.

A sacrifice by Shay Alexander moved the runners to second and third. They were still there with two outs when Conard drove an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left-centerfield.

Conard also had an RBI single in the sixth inning to snap a scoreless tie. She and Cousino finished with two hits each.

Unity Nelson threw a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts.

Whiteford improved to 15-4, Saline is 24-5.

Ida shows power

ONSTED – McKenna Tarry and Jessica Schrader homered for Ida in a 11-1, 16-0 sweep of Onsted Tuesday.

Schrader wound up with three hits in each game while Summer Smith and Reese Hennessey finished with two in each game.

Kelsey Stein went 4-for-4 in the second game and she, Smith and Madi McCalin racked up three RBI apiece.

Tarry and Libbie Wolfenbarger pitched well for the Blue Streaks.

PREP BASEBALL

Lephew’s bat sizzles

ADRIAN – Quinton Lephew drove in two runs in the first game and three in the second to lead Dundee to 9-5, 11-1 sweep of Adrian Madison Tuesday.

Cooper Buhl doubled and drove in three runs, Jake Foster and Ethan Layton had multi-hit games and Ashton Viers delivered a two-out, two-run single to break open the first game in the fifth inning.

Joey Brink and Cam Fairchild each had two hits in the second game for the 13-10 Vikings.

PREP TRACK AND FIELD

Milan boys unbeaten

GROSSE ILE – Milan’s boys completed a 7-0 run through the Huron League dual-meet schedule with an 81-47 win over Grosse Ile Tuesday.

Noah Bussell (long jump), Nolan Matley (200), Caiden Lambers (high jump), Adam Johnson (400), Virgile Grunez-Guinet (100), Clark Friese (discus) and Brody Lopez (shot-put) were winners for Milan.

Milan’s girls won 66-61 in a meet that was not settled until Amerie Wilson, Bri Smallwood, Malea Wourman and Angelina Wilson won the 1,600 relay.

Angelina Wilson (200), Amerie Wilson (800), Madison Ross (1,600), Marissa Beck (shot-put) and Allison Kingman (pole vault) won individual events.

PREP SOCCER

Madalinski sparks Bedford

TEMPERANCE – Avry Madalinski notched a hat trick and Libby Ewing added two goals as Bedford dominated Ypsilanti Lincoln 8-0 Tuesday.

Bre Boros and Kam Clifton each added a goal and an assist. Jordan Whipple netted the other goals and Presley Napier, Madden Mosley, Elizabeth Klocek, Gabby Chappel and Haley Lawson were credited with assists.

Ida’s Allen scores

IDA – Clare Allen scored for Ida during a 4-1 loss to Blissfield Tuesday.

“We improved from the first matchup where we lost 7-0,” Ida coach Tim Allen said. “I am glad to see the team’s improvement.”

PREP GOLF

McCullough leads Monroe

YPSILANTI – Brenden McCullough shot 41 for Monroe in a 167-176 loss to Ypsilanti Lincoln at Pine View Golf Course Tuesday.

Camden Schmidt added a 44 for the Trojans.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: SMCC baseball team outlasts Flat Rock in 10-inning thriller