By Staff
BRIDGMAN – A split helped the Brandywine varsity baseball team lock up a share of the Lakeland Conference championship on Wednesday.
The Bobcats earned their first league title in 20 years as they split a pair of games against host Bridgman.
The Bees won the first game 5-4 in 11 innings, while Brandywine bounced back in the nightcap to win 7-4.
The No. 2 ranked Bobcats are now 25-5 overall and 12-2 in league play.
Brandywine will have to wait and see if it will share the league crown or win the outright championship.
Edwardsburg, which also has two losses, still has to complete games against Buchanan and Coloma.
Jake Harris picked up the victory in the second game as he came on in the third inning to relief starter Dan Reidenbach.
Bridgman scored four runs in the first inning to grab a 4-2 lead on the Bobcats.
The game remained 4-2 until the sixth inning when Brandywine exploded for four runs. The Bobcats tacked on a run in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Harris helped his own cause with a double as the Bobcats finished with 11 hits.
In the opening game, Harris took the loss in relief of starter Taylor Ort.
Despite outhitting the Bees in the first game, a run in the bottom of the 11th gave Bridgman the victory.
Jesse McCombs had a triple to lead the Bobcats offensively.
First Game
Brandywine 100 300 000 00 – 4 14 2
Bridgman 120 010 000 01 – 5 10 2
LP – Jake Harris (BW), Taylor Ort (starter) and Cameron Ondresky
WP – Smith (B) Groth
2B: Copeland (B) 2
3B: Jesse McCombs (BW)
Second Game
Brandywine 200 004 1 – 7 11 3
Bridgman 400 000 0 – 4 4 1
WP – Jake Harris (BW), Dan Reidenbach (starter) and Cameron Ondresky
LP – Smith and Zarobsky
2B: Way (B), Harris (BW)
Record
Brandywine 25-5, 12-2 Lakeland