DeWitt at Grand Ledge – – Second Game of Baseball Doubleheader – – The Bleacher Denizen – – May 6, 2024 – – by Chuck Krafft

The Bleacher Denizen is in Grand Ledge covering a baseball doubleheader between the Comets and the DeWitt Panthers, It’s been a nice day and I’m really enjoying sharing the booth with Announcer Keegan Dougherty, a Grand Ledge Junior who has been doing a great job and with one of the Grand Ledge Parents, Tim Cornman, who is operating the scoreboard.

Here is a play by play of Game One of this doubleheader. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2024/05/07/dewitt-at-grand-ledge-first-game-of-baseball-doubleheader-the-bleacher-denizen-may-6-2024-by-chuck-krafft/

One fun thing about Grand Ledge’s baseball game is that the concessions people barbecue hamburgers and hot dogs. I took advantage of the break between games to get my first barbecued cheeseburger of 2024 and thoroughly enjoyed it!!

In the CMAC, the other league I most frequently cover, I have gotten used to the visiting team being allowed to bat last in the second game of doubleheaders. Grand Ledge are in the CAAC, so the visiting team will bat first in both games. The Bleacher Denizen’s baseball mind is on the verge of boggling, but I think I am starting to get it. So DeWitt will bat first in this game; somehow your verbose Bleacher Denizen needed an entire paragraph to tell you this!

Here are the starting lineups for today’s second game of the doubleheader.

DEWITT

Sam Leonard 3b

Brandon Beckner cf

A.J. Alicea ss

Elliott Larner rf

Abram Larner lf

Nick Weiss p

Cooper Kingsburg c

Jack Schorfhaar 1b

Trav Moore 2b

GRAND LEDGE

Gavin Wegenke c

Preston Bohnet ss

Alex Cornman dh

Lucas Caterino 1b

Kyle Smith p

Andrew Deibel lf

Jaydin McCammon 3b

Drew Buckland cf

Aidan O’Keefe rf

Kaiden Sobczyk will play second base, but will not bat.

Let’s take some time to relive the events of the second game through the eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who was never to advance his baseball career very far. His outfield defensive play went subpar after the Baseball Powers that Be made the bushel basket I used in the outfield illegal? How do they expect anyone to catch anything in those little devices called “gloves”???

Comet Pitcher Kyle Smith retired DeWitt’s three first inning hitters on a grounder to shortstop and two strikeouts.

Panther Pitcher Nick Weiss retired Grand Ledge’s three first inning batters on a fly to third base, a line drive to the shortstop and a fly to center field where Panther Center Fielder Brandon Beckner made an excellent running catch.

Kyle Smith retired DeWitt’s second inning leadoff hitter on a fly to center field. Abram Larner singled to left field and stole second base. Comet Second Baseman Kaiden Sobczyk made a great catch of an off-line pickoff throw to prevent and error and keep the runner at second base. Kyle Smith struck out the next Panther hitter and got the third out on a grounder to the shortstop.

Nick Weiss struck out Grand Ledge’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the second inning. Kyle Smith walked. Kyle Smith was out at second base and Andrew Deibel safe at first base on a fielder’s choice grounder to third base. The Comets made their third out on a fly to right field.

After two full innings, the game was tied at 0-0.

Jake Schorfhaar doubled off the center field wall to lead off the top of the third inning for DeWitt. Kyle Smith struck out the next Panther hitter. Comet Right Fielder Aidan O’Keefe made a fine running catch of a sinking liner by Sam Leonard to record the second Panther out. Brandon Beckner walked. A.J. Alicea beat out an infield single as Jake Schorfhaar advanced to third base and Brandon Beckner to second base.

Elliott Larner cracked a double to deep center field to drive in Jake Schorfhaar, Brandon Beckner and A.J. Alicea. DeWitt made its third out on a fly to center field to end the inning.

DeWitt scored three runs in the top of the third inning to take a 3-0 lead.

DeWitt Center Fielder Brandon Beckner made a fine running catch to retire Grand Ledge’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the third inning. The next Comet hitter was out on a grounder to shortstop. Gavin Wegenke made it to first base safely when his third strike was dropped. Brandon Beckner made another fine catch going back into deep center field to catch a drive by Preston Bohnet to end the inning.

Nick Weiss was safe at first base on an error to lead off the top of the fourth inning for DeWitt. Grand Ledge Pitcher Kyle Smith retired the next Panther hitter on a fly to left field. Nick Weiss moved to second base when Jake Schorfhaar singled off the right fielder’s glove. Nick Weiss advanced to third base and Jake Schorfhaar was out at second base when Trav Moore was safe at first base on a fielder’s choice grounder to second base.

Sam Leonard doubled to the left field fence to drive Nick Weiss home. Trav Moore advanced to third base on the play. DeWitt made its final out of the inning on a grounder to second base.

DeWitt scored one run in the top of the fourth inning to extend its lead to 4-0.

Nick Weiss retired the three Comet hitters in the bottom of the fourth inning on a strikeout, a grounder where Panther Shortstop A.J. Alicea made a fine play behind second base to catch the ball and a bouncer to the pitcher.

A.J. Alicea singled to right field to lead off the top of the fifth inning for DeWitt. Kyle Smith struck out the next two Panther hitters. A.J. Alicea stole second base, but DeWitt made its third out of the inning on a fly to right field.

Andrew Deibel singled to left field to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning for the Comets. Nick Weiss retired the next batter on a line drive to second base. Drew Buckland was hit by a pitch to push Andrew Deibel to second base. Panther Right Fielder Elliott Larner caught Aidan O’Keefe’s fly to deep right field and made an excellent throw back to the infield to hold the runners at first and second base.

Andrew Deibel advanced to third base and Drew Buckland to second base on a passed ball. Grand Ledge made its final out of the inning on a grounder to third base.

After five full innings, the DeWitt lead remained at 4-0.

Jameson Patten entered the game to pitch for Grand Ledge.

Cooper Kingsbury singled to left field to lead off the top of the sixth inning for DeWitt. Garrett Grewe came in as a courtesy runner for Cooper Kingsbury. Garrett Grewe advanced to third base on a passed ball. Jake Schorfhaar was hit by a pitch. The next Panther hitter was out on a popup to the shortstop.

Sam Leonard doubled to left field to drive Garrett Grewe home. Comet Left Fielder Andrew Deibel and Third Baseman Jaydin McCammon both made fine throws to catch the Panther runner trying to score from first base at the plate for the second Panther out. Sam Leonard went to third base when Brandon Beckner was safe on an infield single.

Comet Right Fielder Aidan O’Keefe made a diving catch of a drive to right field by A.J. Alicea for the third out. (This was a clutch catch, with two outs and the speedy Brandon Beckner on second base, two runs could easily have scored had the ball dropped in.)

DeWitt scored one run in the top of the sixth inning to boost its lead to 5-0.

Preston Bohnet singled to right field to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning for Grand Ledge and went to second base on a wild pitch. Alex Cornman beat out an infield single to push Preston Bohnet to third base. Lucas Catarino doubled to deep center field to drive Preston Bohnet home as Alex Cornman advanced to third base. Alex Cornman scored and Kyle Smith advanced to third base on an RBI groundout to third base by Kyle Smith.

Lucas Catarino scored when Andrew Deibel was safe at first base on an error. Nick Weiss got the next Comet hitter to hit a double play grounder to the second baseman to end the inning.

Grand Ledge scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the DeWitt lead to 6-3.

Andrew Deibel went to the mound for Grand Ledge as A.J. Skinner went to left field and Kyle Smith to third base.

Elliott Larner was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the seventh inning for DeWitt. Elliott Larner was out at second base and Abram Larner safe at first base on a fielder’s choice grounder to second base. Abram Larner advanced to second base on an errant pickoff throw and took third base on a wild pitch. Nick Weiss walked.

Andrew Deibel struck out the next Panther hitter. Jake Schorfhaar singled to left field to drive Abram Larner home as Nick Weiss went to third base. Andrew Deibel struck out the next batter to end the inning.

DeWitt scored one run in the top of the seventh inning to extend its lead to 6-3.

Drew Buckland was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning for Grand Ledge and advanced to second base on a single to left field by Aidan O’Keefe. Nick Weiss retired the next three Comet batters on a fly to left field, a strikeout and a foul popup to first base to end the inning as well as the game.

DeWitt earned a split in this doubleheader by winning the second game by the score of 6-3.

Lucas Catarino had a double and one RBI for Grand Ledge. Andrew Deibel had a single and one RBI. Preston Bohnet, Alex Cornman and Aidan O’Keefe each had one single. Kyle Smith had one RBI.

Kyle Smith pitched five innings for Grand Ledge. He gave up four runs and struck out one batter. Jameson Patten pitched on inning and gave up one run. Andrew Deibel pitched on inning; he gave up one run while striking out two batters.

Sam Leonard had two doubles and two RBIs for DeWitt. Elliott Larner had a bases-loaded double and three RBIs. Jake Schorfhaar had a double, two singles and one RBI. A.J. Alicea had two singles. Cooper Kingsbury and Brandon Beckner each had one single.

Nick Weiss pitched the complete game for DeWitt. He gave up three runs and six hits while striking out four Comet batters.