By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
BRONSON – Behind the pitching arms of Jake Harris and Dan Reidenbach, sparkling defense and timely hitting by their offense the No. 1 ranked Brandywine Bobcats kept their baseball season alive to play another day.
In regional baseball action at Bronson High School on Saturday the Bobcats posted a 7-4 semifinal win over No. 9-ranked Constantine to set up a rematch of last years showdown between the Bobcats and Kalamazoo Christian.
This year it was the Cats' sending the No. 3-ranked Comets home with a 15-5 five-inning loss. Last year it was the Comets ending the Bobcats season in a five inning 10-0 loss.
Brandywine advances to the Division 3 state quarterfinals at C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek on Tuesday where they will face another ranked team in No. 4 Lansing Catholic (30-7).
In the title game a nine run outburst in the bottom of the fourth for the Bobcats broke open a game deadlocked at three.
Brandywine finished the game with three more runs in the fifth after the Comets tacked on two runs in the top of the fifth for the 15-5 win.
Reidenbach pitched the complete game for the win giving up seven hits, striking out five, walking four and hitting two Comet batters.
Kalamazoo Christian pushed two runs across in the top half of the second inning but Reidenbach was able to get out of the bases loaded jam. The Bobcats took a 3-2 lead scoring a single run in the second and two in the third scoring the three runs on just two hits.
In the fourth, Reidenbach found himself in trouble once again. Three consecutive singles loaded the bases for the Comets. With one out Reidenbach forced in a run with a walk to tie the game at three. After securing the second out of the inning with the bags still loaded Comet catcher Travis Bradstreet laced what looked to be a bases clearing line-drive to left field. A hustling Jake Harris came up with a spectacular grab of the sinking line drive keeping the game tied at three.
"He's a four-year starter and always has done a nice job out there in the outfield," Brandywine coach Dave Sidenbender said. "He always has a flare for the dramatics. That would have been big if it would have gotten down. It's a huge momentum changer. That's a six run swing almost. We stop it and come in and hit that really takes the wind out of a team. A lot of times the defense feeds the offense, when you make plays or pitch well it fuels your offense they come up and they have confidence."
The momentum quickly changed and the Bobcats took control of the game. The Comets starting pitcher Nate Young hit leadoff hitter Shane Bankston. After a fly out Will Coar hit a ground rule double to put runners at second and third. Noah Udell followed with another ground rule double to plate the first two runs of the nine run inning chasing Young from the mound with Corey Scheffers taking over on the hill. Three more singles by Cam Ondresky, Zach Edquist and Coar's second hit of the inning along with three walks and Bankston being hit for the second time in the inning contributed to the five hit inning.
Brandywine picked up 11 hits in the game to give the team its first regional championship since 1992.
A six-run first inning in the semifinal game against No. 9-ranked Constantine got the Bobcats going early in their first game of the day. Five hits, two Falcon errors and a hit batter led to the big inning.
Bankston had a two-run double and Coar had run scoring double in the inning. Harris struck out 14 batters and gave up all four runs to the Falcons in the sixth. Jesse McCombs added an insurance run with a home run in the fourth to give his team a 7-0 advantage.
Division 3 Baseball Regional
At Bronson High School
Championship Game
Kalamazoo Christian 020 12 – 5 7 3
Brandywine 012 93 – 15 11 2
WP – Dan Reidenbach (B, 10-2) and Cam Ondresky
LP – Nate Young (KC, 6-1), Corey Scheffers (4), Mark Onderlinde (5) and Travis Bradstreet
2B: Noah Udell (B), Cam Ondresky (B), Will Coar (B), Nate Young (K), Joel Lindner (K)
Records
Brandywine 30-8, Kalamazoo Christian 26-5
Semifinal
Constantine 000 004 0 – 4 5 3
Brandywine 600 100 x – 7 9 0
WP – Jake Harris (B, 8-3) and Cam Ondresky
LP – Chase Lewis (C, 8-3) and Jared McBride
2B: Ron Fancher (C), Dan Reidenbach (B), Shane Bankston (B), Will Coar (B)
HR: Jesse McCombs (B)
Record
Constantine 25-9