Okemos at Grand Ledge – – Baseball – – First Game of Doubleheader – – The Bleacher Denizen – – April 28, 2025 – – by Chuck Krafft

Today, it’s a beautiful day for baseball and your Bleacher Denizen is off to Grand Ledge to watch as the Comets host the Okemos Wolves in a doubleheader!!

On this fine spring day, I hope you will enjoy this original tune about an office worker who is having Walter Mitty fantasies of what he could do on a fine spring day!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTdeYRUEOkc

I got to the game in plenty of time to get set up in the press box and take in the beautiful grounds that Grand Ledge uses for its baseball stadium!!

Here are the starting lineups. Okemos is the visiting team and will bat first.

OKEMOS
Carter Haremski cf

James Poletes lf

Jake Stagg rf

Jimmy Pignataro 1b

Sebastian Blair p

Gabe Hart c

Keagan Noble ss

Henry Schnelker 3b

Caleb Wilkinson 2b

GRAND LEDGE

Aidan O’Keefe rf

Gavin Wegenki p

Jaydin McCammon dh

Troy Nyquist 1b

Preston Bohnet ss

Brett Baker lf

Kyle Smith 2b

Cooper Parks 3b

Drew Buckland cf

Easton Cochran will catch, but will not bat.

It’s now time to look at the events of this game through the eyes of a Bleacher Denizen who was never able to get his baseball career going much. It seems that unless you can somehow get your bat to hit the baseball in three attempts, you lose your turn and have to watch the other guys bat. Alas, your Bleacher Denizen typically spent a lot of times watching his teammates bat after he failed to deal with three pitches.

Grand Ledge Pitcher Gavin Wegenki retired the Okemos leadoff batter on a grounder to the shorttop. James Poletes walked. Jake Stagg was safe at first base and James Poletes out at second base on a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop. Gavin Wegenke struck out the next Okemos hitter to end the inning.

Aidan O’Keefe was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the first inning for Grand Ledge. Aidan O’Keefe was out second base and Gavin Wegenke safe at first base on a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop. Gavin Wegenke stole second base. Jaydin McCammon singled to right field and drove Gavin Wegenke in with the game’s first run.

Tory Nyquist pounded a two run home run over the left-center field fence; Jaydin McCammon also scored on the play. Okemos Pitcher Sebastian Blair retired the next two Comet hitters on a foul popup to first base and a fly to center field to end the inning.

Grand Ledge scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead.

Sebastian Blair singled to right field to lead off the bop of the second inning for Okemos. Gabe Hart cingled to center field and Sebastian Blair advanced to second base. Ryan Kinzer came into the game as a courtesy runner for Gabe Hart. Sebastian Blair went to third base and Ryan Kinzer to second base on a groundout to first base by Keagan Noble.

Sebastian Blair scored and Ryan Kinzer went to third base on a bunt single by Henry Schnelker. Henry Schnelker stole second base. Henry Schnelker went to third base and Ryan Kinzer scored when Caleb Wilkinson was safe at first base on an error on his bunt. Henry Schnelker scored and Caleb Wilkinson went to second base on an RBI groundout to shortstop by Carter Haremski. Caleb Wilkinson scored when James Poletes was safe at first base on an error. Okemos made its third out on a line drive to the shortstop.

Okemos scored four runs in the top of the second inning to take a 4-3 lead.

Kyle Smith beat out an infield single and ended up safe at third base on an overthrow to lead off the bottom of the second inning for Grand Ledge. Okemos Pitcher Sebastian Blair retired the next hitter on a grounder to third base as the runner held at third base. Kyle Smith scored when Drew Buckland was safe at first base on an error. Drew Buckland stole second base.

The next Grand Ledge hitter was out on a fly to right field. Gavin Wegenki walked; Caleb Wilkinson advanced to third base when ball four was a wild pitch. Sebastian Blair struck out the next Comet hitter to end the inning.

Grand Ledge scored one run in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game at 4-4.

In the top of the third inning, Grand Ledge Pitcher Gavin Wegenke retired the three Okemos batters on a grounder to shortstop where shortstop Preston Bohnet made a great play on a slow roller, a strikeout and a fly to the shortstop.

Okemos Pitcher Sebastian Blair retired the first two Grand Ledge batters in the bottom of the third inning on a grounder to the shortstop and a bouncer to the mound. Brett Baker was safe at first base on an error and went to third base when Kyle Smith was safe at second base on an error. Sebastian Blair struck out the next Comet hitter to end the inning.

Gavin Wegenke retired the Okemos leadoff batter in the top of the fourth inning on a ground ball to second base. Henry Schnelker was safe at first base on an error and went to second base on a walk to Caleb Wilkinson. Gavin Wegenke struck out the next batter and made an excellent throw to first base to pick off the runner to end the inning.

Sebastian Blair retired the Comet leadoff batter in the bottom of the fourth inning on a grounder to the shortstop. Aidan O’Keefe beat out an infield single. Aiden O’Keefe was out at second base and Gavin Wegenke safe at first base on a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop. Ashton Delaney entered the game as a courtesy runner for Gavin Wegenke and stole second base. Sebastian Blair retired the next Comet batter on a grounder to second base to end the inning.

After four full innings, this game was still tied at 4-4.

Gavin Wegenke struck out the Okemos leadoff batter in the top of the fifth inning. Jake Stagg lined a single to center field and stole second base. Gavin Wegenke struck out the next Wolves hitter and got the third out on a fly to center field to end the inning.

Tory Nyquist walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning for Grand Ledge and advanced to second base on a passed ball. Preston Bohnet was hit by a pitch. Ashton Delaney pinch ran for Tory Nyquist. Brett Baker was safe at first base and Ashton Delaney out at third base on a fielder’s choice bunt to the pitcher. Preston Bohnet advanced to second base. Sebastian Blair retired the next two Comet hitters on a popup to second base and a liner to left field to hold Grand Ledge scoreless for the inning.

Gavin Wegenke struck out the Wolves’ leading batter to open the top of the sixth inning. Keagan Noble lined a single to center field. Keagan Noble stole second base. Henry Schnelker grounded a single to right field. Keagan Noble went to third base on the single and scored on a throwing error as Henry Schnelker advanced to second on the play. Henry Schnelker went to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Caleb Wilkinson.

Carter Haremski singled to left field to drive Henry Schnelker home. James Poletes drilled a triple to the right field corner to drive in Carter Haremski. Gavin Wegenke reacted really quickly on a shot up the middle by Jake Stagg and threw him out at first base to retire the side.

Okemos scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead.

Sebastian Blair retired the three Comet hitters in the bottom of the sixth inning on a grounder to second base, a fly to left field where James Poletes made a fine running catch and a fly to center field.

Sam Brown came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning for Grand Ledge.

Sam Brown retired the first two Okemos hitters in the bottom of the seventh inning on a fly to left field and a popup to the shortstop. Grand Ledge Shortstop Preston Bohnet made a great diving effort to spear a line drive by Gabe Hart, but it went off his glove and into center field for a single. Ryan Adams entered as a courtesy runner for Gabe Hart and stole second base. Okemos made its third out when Shortstop Preston Bohnet made a fine stop of a grounder up the middle by Keagan Nobel and threw him out at first to end the inning.

Jaydin McCammon belted a double off the left field fence to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning for Grand Ledge. Okemos Shortstop Keagan Noble leaped to spear a liner off the bat of Tory Nyquist that looked like it was headed to left field. Jaydin McCammon took third base on a bouncer to the pitcher. Grand Ledge made its third out (and the final out of the game) on a popup to the pitcher.

Okemos won the opening game of this double header by the final score of 7-4.

Tory Nyquist had a home run and two RBI for Grand Ledge. Jaydin McCammonm had a double, a single and one RBI. Aidan O’Keefe and Kyle Smith each had a single. Drew Buckland had one RBI.

Gavin Wegenke pitched six innings and struck out six batters. Sam Brown pitched one inning.

Carter Haremski had two singles and two RBI for Okemos. Henry Schnelker had two singles and one RBI. Gabe Hart had two singles. James Poletes had a triple and one RBI. Jake Stagg, Sebastian Blair and Keagan Noble each had a single.

Here is the play by play of the second game!https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2025/04/29/okemos-at-grand-ledge-baseball-second-game-of-doubleheader-the-bleacher-denizen-april-28-2025-by-chuck-krafft/