By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
State champions!
West Branch captured the Michigan Senior Baseball state championship Tuesday afternoon with a 10-2 victory over Eastwood at Russom Fields.
Eastwood came into the championship game needing to win twice to advance, however, they did not have enough left against the undefeated West Branch squad.
Having survived in the consolation bracket, including a forfeit victory in the finals, Eastwood jumped out to a 1-0 first inning lead and looked as if they were going to give West Branch all it could handle.
But in the end, despite a stellar effort, Eastwood ran out of gas.
West Branch scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning on a home run.
Eastwood showed the heart of a champion with a run in the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 3-2.
Any hopes of a comeback and a second game were ended however when West Branch scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth and put the game away with a four-run sixth inning.
West Branch banged out eight hits against Eastwood starter David Oliphant and reliever Adam Hanson.
Troy Lambert and Ricky Dodridge both had three-run home runs for West Branch, which also got singles from Robbie Goulette, Kyle Wangler, Tyson Dantzer, Michael Noffsinger and Curtis Lyons.
Dodridge went the distance to record the victory for West Branch. He allowed two runs on five hits.
Josh Martin had a double for Eastwood, while Ryan Mayne, Mike Myeno, Oliphant and Jeremy Followell all singled.
As the Michigan State champion, West Branch now advances to the Central States Regional in Peru, Ill. beginning on Friday.
Michigan will be in Pool C along with the state champions from Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois.
Pool A will consist of District 20, Kansas, Iowa and Kentucky. Pool B will be made up of Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Ohio.
The tournament will run from Aug. 5 through Aug. 11.
The winner of the Central States Regional championship advances to the World Series in Bangor, Maine.