Williamston vs. Grand Ledge – – Diamond Classic Semifinal – – The Bleacher Denizen – – June 2, 2025 – – By Chuck Krafft

Tonight, the Diamond Classic is playing its semifinal round. In the night’s second game, the Hornets from Williamston will take on the Comets from Grand Ledge. I also covered the other semifinal between Portland and Okemos. Here is the play by play of that game.https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2025/06/03/okemos-vs-portland-diamond-classic-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-june-2-2025-by-chuck-krafft/

Here are the starting lineups. Grand Ledge will be the home team and Williamston will bat first.

Here are the starting lineups:

WILLIAMSTON

Hunter VanSickler cf

Jack Hart 3b

Kaleb Nelson lf

Miles Keener rf

Brayden Johnson 2b

Rudy Marinez dh

Hawk Harding 1b

Brett Palmer p

Tobin Smith ss

Tyler Bryan will catch, but will not bat.

GRAND LEDGE

Aidan O’Keefe rf

Drew Buckland cf

Gavin Wegenke c

Jaydin McCammon dh

Preston Bohnet ss

Kyle Smith 2b

Tyler Terranova 1b

Tory Nyquist 3b

Brett Baker lf

Brayden Andrus will pitch, but will not bat.

It is now time to look at the events of this game through the somewhat open eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who never had much of a career in baseball. To his unathletic eyes, the slowest pitches whizzed past him faster than the speed of light. There was seldom an actual collision between a baseball and his bat.

Hunter VanSickler beat out a bunt single to lead off the top of the first inning for Williamston and went to second base on an overthrow. Jack Hart beat out a bunt single and Hunter VanSickler advanced to third base. (That may have been the most perfectly placed bunt ever. It was just fair halfway between third base and home.)

Jack Hart stole second base and Hunter VanSickler stole home after the throw to second base. Jack Hart went to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Kaleb Nelson. Grand Ledge PItcher Brayden Andrus struck out the next batter and got the third out on a bouncer to the shortstop.

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

Aidan O’Keefe walked to lead off the bottom of the first inning for Grand Ledge. Drew Buckland made a bit for a hit, but Hornet Center Fielder Hunter VanSickler made a fine running, sliding catch to get him out. Aidan O’Keefe stole second base. Williamston Third Baseman Jack Hart made a great running catch of a foul fly ball to get the second Comet out.

Aidan O’Keefe went to third base on a wild pitch and came home on an overthrow to tie the game. Jack Hart made a great play at third base ranging far to his left and threw the runner out at first base to end the inning.

Grand Ledge scored one run in the top of the first inning to tie the game at 1-1.

Comet Pitcher Brayden Andrus retired the first two Hornet batters on a fly to center field and a fly to third base. Comet First Baseman Tyler Terranova ranged far to his right to snag a fly that looked like it was going to be a single to right field for the third out.

Preston Bohnet singled to left field to lead off the bottom of the second inning for Grand Ledge. Williamston Pitcher Brett Palmer retired the next hitter on a fly to right field. Preston Bohnet went to second base on a wild pitch. Tyler Terranova walked. Brett Palmer struck out the next batter and reacted quickly on a line drive back through the middle to snag the ball for the third Comet out.

Grand Ledge left fielder Brett Baker made a great diving effort on a drive to left field by Williamston third-inning leadoff batter Tobin Smith, but it fell for a single. Pitcher Brayden Andrus struck out the next two Williamston batters. Comet Shortstop Preston Bohnet made a leaping grab of a line drive by Kaleb Nielson to end the inning.

Brett Palmer struck out the Grand Ledge leadoff batter in the bottom of the third inning. Drew Buckland was safe at first base on an error and stole second base. Drew Buckland took third base on a groundout to second base by Gavin Wegenke. Grand Ledge made its final out of the inning on a grounder to first base.

In the top of the fourth inning, Brayden Andrus retired the three Williamston batters on a fly to center field, a one-hopper to the shortstop and a fly to center field.

Brett Palmer struck out the first two Grand Ledge hitters in the bottom of the fourth inning. Tyler Terranova tripled over the center fielder’s head. Tyler Terranova scored when Tory Nyquist was safe at first base on an error. Brett Palmer struck out the next Comet hitter to end the inning.

Grand Ledge scored one run in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead.

Brayden Andrus retired the three Hornet hitters in the top of the fifth inning on a fly to center field, a strikeout and a bouncer to first base.

Aidan O’Keefe led off the bottom of the fifth inning for Grand Ledge with a double to deep center field. Brett Palmer struck out the next Comet hitter. Aidan O’Keefe went to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Gavin Wegenke. Brett Palmer struck out the next Comet batter to end the inning.

Comet Center Fielder Drew Buckland made a fine running grab of a drive by Williamston Leadoff Batter Hunter VanSickler to start the top of the sixth inning. Jack Hart walked. Grand Ledge Second Baseman Kyle Smith made a great play to nip Kaleb Nielsen at first base. Jack Hart went to second base on the play. Comet Shortstop Preston Bohnet made a great play charging the ball and threw the next Hornet hitter out at first base to end the inning.

Preston Bohnet was safe at second base on an error to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning for Grand Ledge. Preston Bohnet advanced to third base on a single to right field by Kyle Smith. Kyle Smith stole second base. Brett Palmer struck out the next Comet batter. Preston Bohnet scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Tory Nyquist; Kyle Smith held at second base. Brett Palmer struck out the next hitter to end the inning.

Grand Ledge scored one run in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend its lead to 3-1.

Brayden Andrus retired the three Williamston hitters in the top of the seventh inning on a fly to first base, a fly to shortstop and a strikeout.

Grand Ledge won this game by the final score of 3-1 and will play Portland in tomorrow’s final game!

Hunter VanSickler, Jack Hart and Tobin Smith each had a single for Williamston.

Brett Palmer pitched a brilliant complete game for Williamston. While he gave up three runs, not one of them was earned. He allowed only four hits and struck out seven ‘Grand Ledge batters.

Tyler Terranova had a triple for Grand Ledge. Aidan O’Keefe had a double. Drew Buckland and Preston Bohnet each had one single.

Brayden Andrus pitched an excellent complete game for Grand Ledge. He allowed only one unearned run and three hits while striking out five Williamston batters.