Timely hitting pushes Gull Lake past Edwardsburg

Published 8:56 am Thursday, June 6, 2024

By Scott Hassinger

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

OTSEGO — Crucial fielding mistakes at clutch moments helped Gull Lake rally in the late innings to edge Edwardsburg’s baseball team 5-4 in the Division 2 regional semifinals at Otsego.

Originally, the game was scheduled to be played in Gull Lake. The impending threat of thunderstorms before game time in Richland, however, forced the game to be moved and pushed back to a 5:30 p.m. starting time.

Gull Lake (24-11) advances to Saturday’s regional championship against Ionia (20-11) at 10 a.m. at Kalamazoo College.

“We made some mistakes, but Gull Lake put the ball in play and beat us. At this time of year, you have to play clean baseball to win. It was a great game,” said Edwardsburg head coach A.J. Gaideski.

The Eddies’ skipper took a few moments to look back at what his team accomplished this season.

“The kids really stepped it up for us and came ready to work hard every day. We came up with the big hits and big plays all season long.” Gaideski added.

Edwardsburg (20-10) scored twice in the top of the fourth to erase a 3-2 deficit.

Brayden Fischer led off the Eddies’ fourth with a walk and later scored on Joe Lundgren’s sacrifice fly to right field. The Eddies’ junior shortstop Brody Schimpa singled and ended up scoring on Payton Bookwalter’s RBI single for a 4-3 Edwardsburg lead.

Gull Lake scored twice on an Edwardsburg error in the fifth to seize a 5-4 lead it would never relinquish.

Edwardsburg’s Brady Cook walked and scored on Andrew Rudolph’s RBI single putting the Eddies up 1-0 after the top of the second.

A pair of run-scoring singles by Gull Lake’s Cole Guilfoyle and Luke Anderson put the Blue Devils in front 2-1 in the bottom half of the frame.

Zach Zache’s RBI single for Edwardsburg scored Bookwalter in the third to it up at 2-2.

Brendan Tanner’s RBI single for Gull Lake in the bottom of the third put the Blue Devils up 3-2.

Trailing Edwardsburg by one run after four, Gull Lake rallied with two runs in the fifth to build a 5-4 advantage. Both Blue Devil runs scored on an Eddies’ error.

Jacob Palmatier earned the win on the mound for Gull Lake in two innings of relief. Palmatier allowed one hit with one strikeout. Sophomore Bryce Wartella started for the Blue Devils surrendering six hits, two walks with three strikeouts.

Schimpa was tagged with the loss for the Eddies after allowing four hits, two earned runs with two walks and three strikeouts. Lundgren started and gave up two hits, one walk with one strikeout in three innings.

The loss was a tough one for Edwardsburg’s head coach and his outgoing class of five seniors.

“I love our seniors. Some of them have been with us for three or four years. They have put in the effort in practices and during the offseason to get better. I can’t ask for anything more than that,” Gaideski said.

Gull Lake head coach Reggie Walters was elated to come away with the win to advance.

“Edwardsburg gave us a couple free runs. Obviously, they are good team and really swing the bats some we’re pleased to get the win,” Walters said.

Walters was pleased with his pitchers as well.

“We’ve had a lot of different guys on the mound this season. They’ve all did a great job for us,” Walters said.

“We’ve been able to hit the ball very well and put pressure on other teams. We seem to be able to get a lot of big hits with two outs.”

 

GULL LAKE 5, EDWARDSBURG 4

At Otsego

Edwardsburg     011         200         0 – 4 7 5

Gull Lake            021         020         x – 5 7 0

Jacob Palmatier (W); Joe Lundgren , Brody Schimpa (L, 3)
Records: Edwardsburg 20-10, Gull Lake 24-11

More Sports

Dowagiac’s Saylor signs with SMC

Marshall edges Edwardsburg 45-40 in D2 boys regional semifinal

Niles survives Dowagiac second-half charge; Lady Bucks trounce Benton Harbor

Daily data: Tuesday, March 4

Print Article

SportsPlus