FROM STAFF REPORTS
ALPENA -- David Coors and Luke Hessler combined on a four-hit shutout as Traverse City West blanked Alpena 5-0 in the Division 1 district championship game here Saturday.
Coors went the first five innings, surrendering four hits and striking out three. Hessler did not allow a base runner in two innings of relief.
West (19-12) scored three runs in the first and two in the third. Brett Kenny and Kevin Kreta led the offense with three hits. Each had a triple and drove in two runs.
Alpena advanced with a win over Traverse City Central. Jason Winowiecki took the loss for the Trojans (18-15) while Travis Myers had two hits and Alex Fancy added a double.
DIVISION 2
Benzie downs Ludington in title game
Taylor Johnson fired a five-hitter to improve to 6-3 as Benzie Central defeated Ludington 4-2 in the Division 2 district final at Benzie.
He struck out three in seven innings
Jeremy Stapleton went 2-for-4 with a double for the Huskies (20-15), who will play in the Ogemaw Heights regional. Sean Coykendall added a hit and two RBIs and Justin Judge a hit and one RBI. Hayden Clark had a hit and scored a run.
Benzie scored two runs in the fifth to edge Cadillac 2-1 in the opener. Dan Nickerson allowed seven hits to improve to 7-4. Gus Tanner had a hit and an RBI in the fifth. Judge and Johnson also contributed hits.
DIVISION 3
East Jordan wins 13-0 in district finale
East Jordan earned a 13-0 victory over Inland Lakes to claim the Division 3 district title.
Kevin Levanway pitched the win for the Red Devils with eight strikeouts.
In the semifinals, East Jordan beat Charlevoix 11-7. Coby Herriman had two hits for the Rayders (7-26) while Clayton Mitchell had a double and three runs.
Mancelona completes huge rally for crown
Mancelona won its first Division 3 baseball district Saturday, and did so in dramatic fashion.
The Ironmen (28-1) rallied from a 10-6 sixth-inning deficit for an 11-10 win over Kalkaska in the title game.
Kodi Balhorn had a two-run double to start the scoring in the sixth inning while Nick Lockman, Cody Christmas, Dan Johnson and Dustin Allen added hits. Then Tyler Hartzell connected on a two-run double to right field for the 11-10 lead.
Hartzell and Greg Blanco each had three hits in the contest while Lockman, Johnson and Balhorn each added two.
In the semifinals, Mancelona beat Grayling 9-3. Blanco pitched the win with eight strikeouts, Taylor Borst had two hits -- including a home run -- Allen had three hits and Dustin Derrer added two hits.
Kalkaska advanced with a 7-3 win over Suttons Bay. Travis Schuba pitched the win with 11 strikeouts while Tyler Perrin scored three runs and Greyson Myas had three hits.
Suttons Bay (20-10-1) had two hits from Ryan Manning and Danny Holmes while Bryan Belanger doubled.
DIVISION 4
St. Mary's edges Gladiators for title
Kienan Sutton singled in the winning run in the bottom of the sixth as Lake Leelanau St. Mary's went on to beat St. Francis 7-5 in the district championship game at Glen Lake.
The Eagles (23-4-1) scored an insurance run on an error.
Ray Platts pitched a five-hitter, striking out eight, for the win. Platts, Dave Pasch, Sutton and Michael Pendergast all had two hits for St. Mary.
Newton Calcutt and Angus MacLellan led the Gladiators (12-13) with two hits. One of Calcutt's hits was a two-run single. Joel Lints scored two runs.
St. Mary advanced with a dramatic 9-8 win over Glen Lake. The Eagles won it on an RBI double by Platts in the eighth inning. Glen Lake rallied for three in the sixth to tie it. Tyler Lukasiak singled in two runs and Devin Weber doubled in one.
Platts enjoyed a monster game. He had five hits, including three singles, a double and a triple. He drove in three. Platts also earned the win with 2.2 innings of relief.
Sutton finished with two hits and two RBIs. Aiden Kielty added two hits and Tyler Shaffran a double and two RBIs.
Weber had two hits and three RBIs for the Lakers. Lukasiak added two hits and two RBIs and Nick Swartz two hits and one RBI.
St. Francis reached the title game with a 19-1 win over Leland. Sean Sheldon tossed a two-hitter in the five-inning game. Calcutt blasted a grand slam home run in the first. He also doubled and drove in five runs. MacLellan blasted a two-run homer.
Frankfort has big inning for district title
Frankfort scored six runs in the seventh inning for a 7-1 win over Manistee Catholic Central in the Division 4 district championship.
The Panthers (34-1) opened the inning with Wade Luxford reaching safely on an error before Chris Tondu brought him home with his first career home run. Kyle Zimmerman followed it up with a solo shot and Devin Gokey hit his second double of the game to get a comfortable lead.
Cam MacArthur pitched the win with eight strikeouts and two hits.
Frankfort had a 9-1 semifinal win over Brethren.
The Panthers had two hits from Luxford and Zimmerman in the first game while Zimmerman pitched a one-hiter with 12 K's.
Central Lake rolls to championship
Ryan Crawley pitched Central Lake to a Division 4 district title at Bellaire.
Crawley went the first three innings, striking out seven, in a 13-2 win over Bellaire. He came back and hurled four innings, allowing two hits, in a 16-1 win over Ellsworth in the title game.
In the opener, Crawley also had three hits, drove in four and scored two runs. Travis Rogers added two hits and two RBIs. He scored three runs. Ryan Hiltunen contributed three hits and three RBIs.
Hiltunen led the charge in the championship game with two hits and four RBIs. Zach Patton had two hits, a walk, scored three runs and drove in two. Brian Cannon added a hit, two walks, four runs and two RBIs.
The Trojans (20-11) will play Frankfort in the Glen Lake regional next Saturday.
Gaylord St. Mary wins first title in five years
Gaylord St. Mary won its first baseball district title in five years with a 10-7 victory over Wolverine.
Sophomore Lucas Butcher picked up the win for the Snowbirds (12-18), who travel to Rogers City for next weekend's regional. Gabe Nowicki and Austin Lawnichak led St. Mary with two hits apiece. Justin Evans went 4-for-4 with three RBIs for Wolverine.
St. Mary advanced with a come-from-behind 6-5 win over Ski Valley rival Johannesburg-Lewiston.
Johannesburg snapped a 4-4 tie with a run in the top of the seventh when John Cook drew a bases-loaded walk. The Snowbirds came back with two in the bottom of the seventh. An infield single by Nick Purgiel tied the game. St. Mary's then won it on an error.
Pete Spyhalski earned the win on a five-hitter. He struck out 12 and walked eight. Lawnichak had two hits and scored two runs.
Wolverine beat Vanderbilt to reach the title game.
