Clare baseball notches pair of lopsided wins over Ogemaw Heights

By BEN MURPHY

Cleaver Sports Writer

It was a pair of convincing Jack Pine Conference baseball victories for Clare on Thursday, May 8. They were hosting Ogemaw Heights, and picked up three inning mercy-style wins on identical scores of 16-1.

The Pioneers scored three runs in the bottom of the first, had a big 11 run frame in the second and made it a mercy with two more runs in the bottom of the third.

Dane Alexander got the win on the mound, throwing all three innings and giving up one earned run on three hits and two strikeouts.

Ryan Louch had two doubles, two walks, two RBI and three runs to lead the offense. Alexander helped his own cause with one double, one single, one walk, three RBI and three runs and getting two singles each was Matt Mast (three RBI) and Tustyn Yarger (two RBI). Jayden Arthur doubled and drove in three runs, Chase Randall had one single and one RBI and Cole Drake chipped in with a single.

In game two, Blake Sian threw the first two innings to get credit with the victory; he gave up one earned run on one hit, two strikeouts and two walks. Brody Allen had a perfect inning of relief, striking out two batters.

At the plate, Sian had three hits, three RBI and one run and Louch had three hits, two RBI, three runs and three stolen bases. Porter Harsh was able to get two hits and one RBI, Lincoln Older added one hit and two RBI and with one hit and one RBI each was Arthur and Randall.

On Wednesday, May 7, they split their JPC contests at Beaverton. They lost game one 3-1 but had an exciting 5-4 victory in nine innings in the nightcap.

Arthur took the loss in game one despite pitching well; going six innings and allowing three runs, two earned on four hits, three strikeouts and two walks.

Louch had an RBI triple in the top of the seventh and Alexander, Yarger, Mast and Harsh all had one single each.

In game two, Clare trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the sixth. A sac-fly by Alexander tied the game at 4-4 and both teams were scoreless in the seventh; sending the hotly contested contest to extra innings.  

Yarger got the walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh send Clare home with the victory.

Sian got the win in relief, going one and two-third innings and allowing zero runs, zero hits while striking out four. Randall started the game and went the first seven and one-third innings, allowing four runs, one earned on five hits, two strikeouts and two walks.

Harsh had an RBI double in the game, and getting one single each was Alexander (one RBI), Louch, Arthur (one RBI), Yarger (one RBI), Mast and Harsh (one RBI).

Clare had a home doubleheader with Harrison on Tuesday, they host Meridian today (Thursday), they make the trip for Standish-Sterling this coming Tuesday and they also play at Bay City Central on Wednesday.