High scoring slugfests, late inning heroics, and timely hitting have lifted the Maples to a 6-1 record despite pitching that has been shaky at times.
After a 4-1 start, the team headed to Lakeland High School or a road game on Saturday, April 24th, having arguably their best all-around performance of the year.
Otterbein gave up one run in a complete game performance as the Maples won 7-1.
This was the type of game the Maples needed this year. To put it simply, this team has been giving up too many runs and forcing themselves to score a boatload of runs just to keep themselves in the game.
After beating Lakeland, the Maples had a second game to play against Walled Lake Northern.
Back to their usual style of game this year, runs were not scarce.
After the game could not be decided through eight innings, Brinton game to the plate in the top of the ninth with runners first and third, trying to break a 9-9 tie.
What happened next was hard to believe. Walled Lake Northern’s pitcher balked in a run giving Seaholm the lead, and what ultimately ended up being the game-winning run.
“I was up there waiting for his pitch and he flinched,” Brinton said. “Coach saw that, and told the ump that the pitcher balked, so that got the ump thinking about it. Right after that the pitcher flinched again, and that time the ump called it.”
While the team picked up the win, the game was much closer than it should have been.
Lakeland should not have stayed with this team for as long as they did. If not for the surprising balk, Seaholm may have been sent packing.
This team’s hitting and overall run production has been phenomenal, but pitching and defense, in the end, is what wins championships.
Coach Don Watchowski’s team cannot rely on late inning rallies and crazy defensive goof-ups from their opponents to bail them out of games that should not have been close in the first place.
Brinton has stepped in nicely for Keaton Aldridge at catcher, a position that was a question mark heading into the year. Derreck Amboyen has strong feelings about Brinton as an improvement from last year’s team.
“From watching them both play, I feel that having Luke in the lineup is a big improvement from last year with Keaton,” Amboyen said.
Scoring runs and giving up runs in bunches may be working so far, but it will not fly against better teams come playoff time.
Time will tell whether Seaholm’s pitching and defense can keep the run totals down. If they do, this team has the chance to do something special.
The Maples next game will be on the road Wednesday at Farmington High School, before coming home for a Thursday game against Royal Oak, as well as a Saturday double-header in the friendly confines of the Seaholm Baseball diamond.
