ROYAL OAK — Ethan Guerra hit a home run and Cole Van Ameyde had three hits, but it wasn’t enough as the Royal Oak Leprechauns won a 6-3 decision over the Traverse City Pit Spitters.
Van Ameyde was 3-for-4, and Guerra and Noah Gerrick each 2-for-4 in Sunday’s Northwoods League game in front of 555 fans at Memorial Park in Royal Oak. Both of Gerrick’s hits were doubles.
Both teams entered the contest at 7-6, tied for second in the Great Lakes East Division. With the win, Royal Oak moved a game ahead of TC and into sole possession of second place, one game behind Kalamazoo. The Spitters are tied with Richmond and Battle Creek at 7-7.
Traverse City hosts Royal Oak for games Monday and Tuesday, both at 7:05 p.m., before TC has one of its three off days (aside from the All-Star break) Wednesday and then hits the road for six in a row.
Velazquez provides heroics
Alfredo Velazquez belted a go-ahead, two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to give Traverse City a 7-6 road win over Royal Oak.
Velazquez, Zach Carlson and Aaron Grant each had two hits, with the only other by a TC player coming from Ethan Guerra. Grant and Carlson each hit a triple.
Kade Johnson allowed five hits and struck out two in 4.2 innings, Miles Morris fanned three and gave up one hit in 2.1 frames and Miles Williams and David Heefner each threw a hitless inning to finish off the win.
Saints sweep Sidney by combined 33-1 score
Manistee 15, Sidney 0: Lucas Johnson drove in four run son three hits to open the Gratiot County Baseball League doubleheader, including a third-inning home run to center.
Xavier Allen hit a home run, Peter Gelsinger, Pierce Johnson and Lucas Weinert each doubled and Logan Lewis struck out five in four three-hit innings. Lucas Johnson tossed the final inning, striking out two.
Manistee 18, Sidney 1: Ethan Edmondson racked up three hits and scored five runs in the nightcap, which also only went five innings.
The Saints amassed 10 extra-base hits in the second contest, with Gelsinger and Allen each putting up a pair of doubles. Edmondson had a double and triple, and Weinert, Lucas Richardson, Lucas Johnson and Pierre Johnson each doubling.
Dylan Bates struck out four in four innings and Adam Pierce tossed a scoreless fifth frame.