Mason at DeWitt – – Baseball – – First Game of Doubleheader – – The Bleacher Denizen – – April 25, 2025 – – by Chuck Krafft

Today, your Bleacher Denizen’s journey takes him to DeWitt. (Someday, I hope to achieve the necessary gravitas to allow me to refer to my trips as “odysseys”, but I don’t think I’ve gotten there yet.) The hometown DeWitt Panthers will host the Bulldogs from Mason in a baseball doubleheader.

It’s a nice day in DeWitt. I had to find the freshman baseball field as the regular varsity field is getting some renovations. It is in the back of DeWitt’s big school complex right next to the varsity softball diamond.

DeWitt Coach Alan Shankel and Mason Coach Kohl Tyrrell were both very helpful as I copied down the starting lineups. Here they are! Mason is the visiting team and will bat first.

MASON

Maddox Armour cf

Wyatt Ball rf

Colton McCaleb p

Joey Schild 3b

Carson Chapin lf

Hayden Hendrickson dh

Kohlton Tyrrell 2b

Logan Davis ss

Garrit Keet 1b

Andrew Stahle will catch, but will not bat.

DEWITT

Sam Leonard lf

Jake Smith ss

Elliott Larner cf

Joseph Bobeda p

Joe Zubal 3b

Mitchell Arocha dh

Trav Moore 2b

Jake Schorfhaar 1b

Cole Hagle c

Abram Larner will play center field, but will not bat.

It is now time to review the events of this game through the somewhat clean lenses of an aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able get his baseball or softball career going. However, I’m proud to tell you that opposing catchers and umpires both treasured the cooling breezes generated by your Bleacher Denizen’s flailing attempts to hit the baseball.

DeWitt Pitcher Joseph Bobeda retired the three Mason hitters in the top of the first inning on a grounder to the shortstop, a strikeout and a fly to second base.

Sam Leonard singled to lead off the bottom of the first inning for DeWitt. Jake Smith singled down the left field line and Sam Leonard advanced to third base. Jake Smith stole second base. Mason Pitcher Colton McCaleb struck out the next DeWitt batter. Joseph Bobeda hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field to drive Sam Leonard home as Jake Smith advanced to third base. Colton McCaleb got the third out on a grounder to third base.

DeWitt scored one run in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.

Joey Schild led off the top of the second inning for Mason with a single to left field. He advanced to second base when Carson Chapin singled up the middle. Every one was safe when Hayden Hendrickson hit a sacrifice bunt and they attempted to get the runner out at third base. Joey Schild was out at home when Kohlton Tyrrell was safe at first base on a bouncer to the pitcher. Carson Chapin went to third base and Hayden Hendrickson to second base on the play.

Kohlton Tyrell was out at second base and Logan Davis safe at first base on an RBI fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop. Carson Chapin scored on the play and Hayden Hendrickson also scored on an overthrow as Logan Davis took second base. Joseph Bobeda struck out the next Bulldog batter to end the inning.

Mason scored two runs in the top of the second inning and took a 2-1 lead.

Mason Pitcher Colton McCaleb struck out DeWitt’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the second inning. Trav Moore lined a single to centerfield and went to second base when Jake Schorfhaar was safe at first base on an error. Trev Moore went to third base and Jake Schorfhaar to second on a groundout to second base by Cole Hagle. Colton McCaleb retired the next Panther hitter on a bouncer to the mound to end the inning.

Maddox Armour beat out an infield single to lead off the top of the third inning for Mason and went to second base on a single to right field by Wyatt Ball. Maddox Armour went to third base and Wyatt Ball to second base on a passed ball. Maddos Armour scored and Wyatt Ball advanced to third base on a sacrifice fly to left field by Colton McCaleb. Panther Center Fielder Abram Larner made a great diving catch of a drive by Joey Schild to record the second Bulldog out. Mason made its third out on a more routine fly to center field.

Mason scored one run in the top of the third inning to boost its lead to 3-1.

Colton McCaleb struck out DeWitt’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the third inning. Elliott Larner bounced the ball to right field; it took a bad hop and bounced over the right fielder’s head for a triple. (This is not DeWitt’s primary diamond to be fair.) Colton McCaleb struck out the next Panther batter. Joe Zubal stroked an RBI single to center field to drive Elliott Larner home. Colton McCaleb struck out the next batter to end the inning.

DeWitt scored one run in the bottom of the third inning to shave the Bulldog lead to 3-2.

Hayden Hendrickson singled to left field to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning for Mason. He advanced to second base on a groundout to the shortstop by Kohlton Tyrrell. Logan Davis singled up the middle to drive Hayden Hendrickson home. Joseph Bobeda retired the next two Mason batters on a fly to center and a groundout to the shortstop to end the inning.

Mason scored one run in the top of the fourth inning to increase its lead to 4-2.

Trav Moore walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning for DeWitt and stole second base. Colton McCaleb struck out the next Panther hitter. Trav Moore advanced to third base on Cole Hagle’s groundout to the shortstop. Colton McCaleb struck out the next batter to end the inning.

Joseph Bobeda retired Mason’s leadoff batter in the top of the fifth inning on a grounder to the shortstop. Colton McCaleb singled to left field. Ryan Myers entered the game as a courtesy runner. Ryan Myers was out at second base and Joey Schild safe at first base on a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop. Mason made its third out of the inning on a grounder to the shortstop.

Colton McCaleb struck out DeWitt’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kohlton Tyrrell made a fine diving stop of a grounder at second base to get the second Panther out. Kohlton Tyrrell made another great diving stop, but this time Joseph Bobeda beat it out for an infield single. Joseph Bobeda took second base on a single to right field by Joe Zubal. Colton McCaleb struck out the next Panther batter to end the inning.

Jake Smith came in to pitch for DeWitt. Sam Leonard moved to shortstop. Abram Larner moved to left field and Joseph Bobeda went out to play center field.

Jake Smith struck out Mason’s leadoff batter in the top of the sixth inning. Kohlton Tyrrell was safe at first base on an error. Scot Reinecke pinch ran for Kohlton Tyrrell. Jake Smith retired the next Mason hitter on a fly to second base. Pinch Hitter Ryan Myers singled to left field and Scot Reinecke advanced to second base. Scot Reinecke went to third base and Ryan Myers to second on a wild pitch.

Maddox Armour singled to left field to drive Scot Reinecke and Ryan Myers home. Maddox Armour stole second base and then third base. Jake Smith struck out the next Bulldog batter to end the inning.

Mason scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to extend its lead to 6-2.

Logan Davis came in to pitch for Mason. Maddox Armour moved to shortstop. Johnathan Bolton went in to play right field.

Logan Davis retired the first two DeWitt hitters in the bottom of the sixth inning on a bouncer to the pitcher and a strikeout. Cole Hagle was safe at first base on an error. Logan Davis struck out the next Panther hitter to end the inning.

Colton McCaleb blasted a home run over the center field fence to lead off the top of the seventh inning for Mason. Jake Smith retired the next Bulldog batter on a groundout to first base. Carson Chapin singled up the middle and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Hayden Hendrickson. Jake Smith struck out the next Mason hitter to end the inning.

Mason scored one run in the top of the seventh inning to take a 7-2 lead.

Logan Davis retired the first two Panther hitters in the bottom of the seventh inning on grounders to second base and third base. Joseph Bobeda drew a walk and went to second base on a single by Joe Zubal. Pinch Hitter Lucas Brandell singled to center field to drive Joseph Bobeda home as Joe Zubal advanced to second base.

Wyatt Ball came in to pitch for Mason and struck out the next DeWitt batter to end the game.

Mason won the opening game of this doubleheader by the final score of 7-3.

Joe Zubal had three singles and one RBI. Elliott Larner had a triple. Lucas Brandell and Joseph Bobeda each had one single and one RBI. Sam Leonard, Jake Smith and Trav Moore each contributed a single.

Joseph Bobeda pitched five innings and sturck out two batters. Jake Smith pitched two innings and struck out three batters.

Colton McCaleb had a home run, a single and two RBI for Mason. Maddox Armour had two singles and two RBI. Carson Chapin had two singles. Logan Davis had a single and two RBI. Wyatt Ball, Joey Schild, Hayden Hendrickson and Ryan Myers each had a single.

Colton McCaleb pitched fifth nice innings for Mason. He gave up two runs and seven hits while striking out nine batters. Logan Davis pitched 1 2/3 innings. He gave up one run and two hits while stricking out two batters. Wyatt Ball pitched to one batter and struck him out to end the game.

I also covered Game 2 of this game. Here is the play by play of the second game. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2025/04/26/mason-at-dewitt-baseball-second-game-of-doubleheader-the-bleacher-denizen-april-25-2025-by-chuck-krafft/