MANTON — The Chippewas peaked at the right time this spring, coming within one bad inning of perhaps winning a district championship in baseball on June 5.
Although they could not get over the hump against Benzie Central in the district championship game, Manistee coach Dave Edmondson said he really enjoyed what he saw from his team through three games in districts.
"The guys played hard all day. We just did not get the breaks we needed," he said. "We played hard and I am proud of them. They battled all season, and they continued to fight until the end."
After winning against McBain in the district opener on June 1, Manistee returned to Manton on Saturday to compete for a district championship, beginning with the district semifinals against Lake City. The Chips plated five runs in the second inning of that game on their way to a 6-2 victory.
Donavyn Kirchinger earned the win on the mound. He started the game and pitched 5.1 innings, during which he held Lake City to two runs on nine hits and struck out six.
Jeffrey Huber closed the game out, striking out one in 1.2 innings of work.
Ethan Edmondson led Manistee at the plate, finishing with a single, a double and two RBIs. Adam Workman and Huber each recorded a pair of singles. Jaret Edmondson and Titus Lind also finished with base hits in the game.
With the win, Manistee advanced to the district championship to face Benzie Central, 21-0 winners over Manton in the semifinals.
The Chips battled back from an early 3-0 deficit with two runs in the second inning, however, it was the third inning that doomed Manistee.
Benzie Central's Chris Dunlop finally found his groove on the mound by striking out the side in the top half of the inning, and then the Huskies exploded for seven runs in the bottom half of the third inning to blow the game open.
Manistee would score one more run in the top of the fifth to delay the enactment of the 10 runs after five innings mercy rule, however, Benzie Central went on to walk it off in the bottom of the sixth and win the district with their 13-10 victory.
"Walks were the killer in that (third) inning," Edmondson said. "We walked three people in that inning, but that's baseball. Sometimes that happens. We had opportunities to put more runs on the board, and we did not take advantage of it. But I am proud of the guys. We came out and fought. Nobody expected us to be here, and here we are."
Huber led the offense with two base hits in the losing effort. Kirchinger and Tyler Protasiewicz each recorded a double. Ethan Edmondson and Jacob Scharp each had singles.
Manistee finished the season 5-22. Edmondson is optimistic about next season if they Chips can carry over the level of play they displayed in districts into the 2022 spring season.
"I told the guys that if we play like this all year, we are going to be very happy next year," Edmondson said. "It was fun to watch them play. It was exciting. They played hard and that is all you can ask."
June 07, 2021 at 01:50AM
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Chips end season battling in district championship game - Manistee News Advocate
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