By By DAN WEISS / Niles Daily Star
HARTFORD -- A long day at the Hartford High School ballpark brought a pair of Lakeland Conference foes together to decide the Division 3 Baseball Regional Tournament championship, with Edwardsburg capturing its first ever regional title and advancing to today's quarterfinal in Wyoming.
The tournament started at 10 a.m. and wrapped up around 8:30 p.m. after a rain delay of more than two hours following the first game.
The Eddies, which spent several weeks in the Top 10 this season, beat Kalamazoo Christian 9-2 in the semifinals. Brandywine beat Southwest Athletic Conference champion Gobles 11-3 in the other semifinal.
It was the second time in three years Brandywine has reached the regional title game and both times it was against a Lakeland team. The Bobcats lost to River Valley in the 2001 championship game.
Senior Nathan Peak is a big reason the Eddies (26-8) beat the Bobcats. Peak held Brandywine to two hits and came up with a double and two singles batting in the leadoff position for Edwardsburg. Peak also scored two of his team's three runs.
Brandywine, which mercy-ruled Buchanan and River Valley to win a district title, managed six hits against Gobles in Monday's semifinals.
Kory Bridges worked the mound for Brandywine and, despite giving up eight hits, allowed just one earned run. He struck out six batters and finished the season with a record of 10-8.
Edwardsburg is scheduled to take on Muskegon Oakridge today at 4 p.m. at Lamar Park in Wyoming. The semifinals of the Division 3 baseball tournament will be played Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Bailey Park in Battle Creek. The final will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Bailey Park. Brandywine finishes the season with a record of 17-19, winning three of its last four games.