Fowler at Lansing Christian – – First Game of Baseball Doubleheader – – The Bleacher Denizen – – May 2, 2024 – – by Chuck Krafft

Today, your Bleacher Denizen is heading over to Lansing Christian to watch the Pilgrims as they host Fowler’s Eagles in a baseball doubleheader. I love it; since Lansing Christian joined the CMAC, I now can see CMAC games just a mile from home from time to time!!

Here are the starting lineups for this game. Fowler is the visiting team and will bat first.

FOWLER

Conner Katich c

Carter Lance cf

Sam Vanneste p

Adyn O’Rourke 1b

Mitchell Wirth 2b

Noah Schafer ss

Hudson Schlak 3b

Jon Ruiz rf

MaClain Smith lf

LANSING CHRISTIAN

Noah Link ss

Trevor Orton 2b

Dylan Kinnas 3b

Ethan Shank rf

Asa Harvey cf

Will Marl 1b

Ethan Damesworth p

Brayden Moore c

Sam Mustapha dh

Collin Leavitt will play left field, but will not bat.

It is now time to review the events of this game through the aging eyes of a Bleacher Denizen, whose baseball career never really got started. He was showing some promise as a pitcher, but everything fell apart when the baseball powers that be ordered him to stop using a shoulder cannon to throw his pitches.

Conner Katich singled to right field to lead off the top of the first inning for Fowler. He went to third base when Carter Lance was safe at first base on an error. Carter Lance stole second base. Sam Vanneste walked to load the bases. Conner Katich was out at home and Adyn O’Rourke safe at first on a fielder’s choice grounder to first base. Carter Lance advanced to third base and Sam Vanneste to second base on the play.

Mitchell Wirth singled to center field to drive Carter Lance and Sam Vanneste home; Adyn O’Rourke advanced to second base. Mitchell Wirth was out at second base and Noah Schafer safe at first on a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop. Adyn O’Rourke advanced to second base. Christian Pitcher Ethan Damesworth retired the next Eagle hitter on a fielder’s choice grounder to third base to end the inning.

Fowler scored two runs in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead.

Fowler Pitcher Sam Vanneste retired Christian’s leadoff batter in the top of the first inning on a fly to right field. Trevor Orton was hit by a pitch. Sam Vanneste retired the next two batters on fielder’s choice grounders to the shortstop to end the inning.

Jon Ruiz led off the top of the second inning for Fowler by lining a single to right-center field. Christian Catcher Brayden Moore fired the ball to second base to catch the runner stealing. Ethan Damesworth retired the next two Eagle batters on a strikeout and a grounder to the mound to end the inning.

In the bottom of the second inning, Sam Vanneste retired the three Pilgrim hitters on a one hopper to second base, a fly to right field and a strikeout.

Carter Lance led off the top of the third inning for the Eagles with a single to center field and stole second base. Sam Vanneste walked. Ethan Damesworth struck out the next Fowler hitter. Carter Lance and Sam Vanneste executed a double steal to advance to third and second base. Mitchell Wirth lined a single to center field to drive Carter Lance and Sam Vanneste home.

Noah Schafer walked and Mitchell Wirth went to second base. Mitchell Wirth took third base on an errant pickoff throw. Ethan Damesworth struck out the next Fowler hitter. Mitchell Wirth and Noah Schafer scored when Jon Ruiz was safe at second base on an error. MaClain Smith lined a single to right field to drive Jon Ruiz home. Fowler made its third out on a foul popup to third base.

Fowler scored five runs in the top of the third inning to push its lead to 7-0.

Brayden Moore led off the top of the third inning for Christian with a solid single to left field. Rocco Torrez came in as a courtesy runner for Brayden Moore. Sam Vanneste struck out the next Pilgrim hitter. Noah Link was hit by a pitch and Rocco Torrez moved to second base. Sam Vanneste retired the next Pilgrim hitter on a fly to center field. Rocco Torrez scored and Noah Link raced to third base when Dylan Kinnas was safe at first base on an error.

Ethan Shank was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Asa Harvey blasted a double to deep right-center field to drive in Noah Link and Dylan Kinnas as Ethan Shank moved to third base. Christian made its third out on a grounder to the shortstop to end the inning.

Christian scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning to trim the Fowler lead to 7-3.

Carter Lance singled to right field to lead off the top of the fourth inning for Fowler. Christian Catcher fired the ball to second base and was able to catch the speedy Carter Lance stealing. Asa Harvey made two great catches in center field to get the final two Eagle outs of the inning. The first catch was a sliding catch of a sinking line drive to center field. The other was a great running catch.

Sam Vanneste retired the leadoff Pilgrim hitter in the bottom of the fourth inning. Brayden Moore doubled to deep right field. Rocco Torrez entered the game as a courtesy runner for Brayden Moore and advanced to third bases on a passed ball. Rocco Torrez scored when Sam Mustapha was safe at first on an error.

MaClain Smith made a great running catch of Noah Link’s drive down the left field line to record Christian’s second out. Sam Mustapha went to second base when Trevor Orton was safe on an infield single. Dylan Kinnas lined a single to left field to move Sam Mustapha to third base as Trevor Orton advanced to second base. Christian’s next batter was out on a fly to center field to end the inning.

Christian scored one run in the bottom of the fourth inning to shave the Fowler lead to 7-4.

Christian shortstop Noah Link backed up to make a nice catch of a popup in short center field to get Fowler’s first out of the top of the fifth inning. Ethan Damesworth retired the next two Eagle batters on a grounder to second base and a strikeout.

Adyn O’Rourke came in to pitch for Fowler and Sam Vanneste moved to first base.

Adyn O’Rourke retired Christian’s leadoff hitter in the bottom of the fifth inning on a fly to left field. Will Marl walked. Adyn O’Rourke retired the next two Pilgrim hitters on a fly to center field and a fly to right field to end the inning.

Ethan Damesworth retired the first two Fowler batters in the sixth inning on grounders to the shortstop. Conner Katich blasted a triple off the right field fence. Carter Lance singled to right field to drive in Conner Katich. Carter Lance went to second base when Sam Vanneste walked and to third base when Adyn O’Rourke walked.

Trevor Orton came in to pitch for Lansing Christian with the bases loaded and two out in the top of the sixth inning. Collin Leavitt moved to second base, Will Marl to left field and Ethan Damesworth to first base.

Mitchell Wirth bounced a single to left field to drive in Carter Lance as Sam Vanneste advanced to third base and Adyn O’Rourke to second. Sam Vanneste scored on a wild pitch; Adyn O’Rourke went to third base and Mitchell Wirth to second on the play. Noah Schafer walked to load the bases. Trevor Orton retired the next Eagle batter on a fly to left field to end the inning.

Fowler scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning to boost its lead to 10-4.

Adyn O’Rourke retired the three Christian batters in the bottom of the sixth inning on two strikeouts and a fly to left field.

Collin Leavitt came in to pitch for Christian and Trevor Orton moved back to second base.

Collin Leavitt retired the Eagle leadoff hitter in the top of the seventy inning when Asa Harvey made a fantastic diving catch in center field. (It reminded me of Mickey Stanley playing center field for the world champion 1968 Tigers when your Bleacher Denizen was actually young. He was one of the best center fielder’s I’ve ever seen and I’ll bet even he would salute this fine catch.)

MaClain Smith lined a single to right field. Christian Catcher Brayden Moore made a fine sliding catch of the next Eagle batter’s foul popup. MaClain Smith stole second base. Christian First Baseman Ethan Damesworth went back into right field to catch a popup from the next Eagle batter to end the inning.

Dylan Kinnas singled up the middle to open the bottom of the seventh inning for Christian and went to second base on a passed ball. Dylan Kinnas held as second base as Ethan Shank was safe at first on an error. Adyn O’Rourke retired the next three Pilgrim hitters on a fly to center field, a strikeout and a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop to end the game.

Fowler won the first game of this CMAC doubleheader by the score of 10-4.

Brayden Moore had a single and a double for Christian. He also threw out two base runners trying to steal. Asa Harvey had a double and two RBI as well as three note-worthy catches in center field. Dylan Kinnas had two singles. Trevor Orton had one single. Sam Mustapha had one RBI.

Mitchell Wirth had three singles and five RBI for Fowler. Carter Lance had three singles and one RBI. Conner Katich had a single and a triple. MaClain Smith had two singles and one RBI. Jon Ruiz had one single.

Adyn O’Rourke pitched the final three innings. He allowed no runs and struck out three batters.

Here is the play by play of game two. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2024/05/03/fowler-at-lansing-christian-second-game-of-baseball-doubleheader-the-bleacher-denizen-may-2-2024-by-chuck-krafft/