Allen Park baseball tops Lincoln Park, Edsel Ford to capture district title w/ PHOTO GALLERY
Four Downriver-area baseball teams shared the diamond on Saturday for the district round of the MHSAA state playoffs. Host Allen Park was joined by area foes Dearborn Edsel Ford, Lincoln Park and Melvindale.
Behind some strong pitching, the Jaguars emerged victorious on their home field and picked up the Division 1, District 19 championship.
Allen Park knocked off Lincoln Park 7-3 in the semifinals and then defeated Edsel Ford 3-0 in the title game. The Thunderbirds had advanced to the final with a 6-5 win over Melvindale in the other semifinal game.
Overall, it marked the fifth district title in the last seven seasons for Allen Park, which advanced to face Detroit Western on Wednesday.
The first game of the day was the semifinal matchup between Edsel and Melvindale.
A late rally for the Cardinals came up just short after the squad put up three runs in the top of the fifth, cutting a then 6-2 deficit down to a one run. The T-Birds had put up three runs of their own in the previous half inning to create some separation.
Melvindale was able to get two runners on with one out in the sixth, as well as one on with two outs in the seventh, but could not cash either time.
Eight of the nine starters in the lineup for Edsel had at least one hit. Ethan Craft finished with three hits and two RBIs to lead the T-Birds. Aidan Jeffries had a big two-run double as part of that three-run fourth inning to pad the Edsel lead.
Jeffries was also part of a three-man crew on the mound for the T-Birds, going two innings. Nolan Birchenough tossed the first four frames before Ian Maness closed things out in the seventh.
Melvindale got a four-hit, two-RBI day from Kurtis Jackson in the leadoff spot. Jilbert Lagambra and Corbin Johnson each had one RBI for the Cards.
Lagambra and Donnie Barnhart pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in relief after starter Jordan Stanley went the first 2.1 innings. Only four of the six runs allowed by Stanley were earned.
In the second semifinal of the day, the difference in Allen Park’s 7-3 victory over Lincoln Park was a six-run outburst in the third inning. The Jags sent 11 batters to the plate in the third, four reaching with a hit while four more reached with a walk, hit by pitch or error.
The two squads traded single runs in the fourth inning. Lincoln Park tried to mount one last comeback in the bottom of the seventh, putting up a pair of runs, but the early deficit was too much to overcome.
Dalton Vance finished 2-for-4 on the day including a two-run double in that six-run fourth. Cam Johnson and Jake Stickler each had RBI hits for the Jags, as well.
Ethan Gajewski tossed the first six innings for the hosts, allowing one unearned run on five hits before giving way to Ivan Salinas in the seventh.
Lincoln Park actually out-hit Allen Park nine hits to five with seven of its nine starters recording at least one knock. Evan McIntyre and Alvaro Hernandez each had two-hit games while Gavin Hampton and Bubba Brewer had the only two RBIs for the Rails.
Hernandez started the first three innings for Lincoln Park; all six runs were charged to him. Hampton pitched four hitless frames in relief, allowing one unearned run in the fourth after issuing three walks.
In the district championship game, Allen Park came in looking to beat Edsel for the third time this season, following a pair of victories in DRL play.
The Jags got it done, behind a strong outing from Stickler, and claimed the district crown with a 3-0 win over the T-Birds.
Overall, the two teams combined for nine hits with Allen Park being responsible for five.
The Jags got the bats going early with RBI knocks from Stickler in the first — after Johnson led off with a triple — and a Colin Sclater triple in the second. The Green and White eventually added an insurance run in the fourth after Dom Westfall was plunked by a Maness offering with the bases loaded.
Maness otherwise held his own and gave Edsel a chance to win. The freshman went five innings on the hill and struck out seven batters. He allowed five hits and three walks along the way.
But on the other side, Stickler came two outs away from a complete-game shutout. He allowed just seven baserunners (4 hits, 3 walks) in his 6.1 innings of work. His last pitch resulted in a base on balls issued to Maness.
Salinas relieved Stickler and threw just two pitches before inducing a game-ending double play to lock up the win and the district title for Allen Park.
Next up for the Jags is a D1, Region 9 semifinal game against Detroit Western on Wednesday, June 8, back at Allen Park. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
Western defeated Detroit PSL rival Cass Tech 7-2 in its district final on Saturday.
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