Caledonia High School Athletics

Caledonia baseball traveled to Gainey Athletic Complex yesterday to battle the number two ranked (in division two) Grand Rapids Christian. Caledonia was held scoreless in the top of the first inning. Junior AJ Szabo was able to get on base with a single but Caledonia couldn’t get anything else going. Senior Aaron Hileman got the start for Caledonia. Back to back wild pitches and a walk quickly loaded the bases for the Eagles with no outs. The Eagles cleanup hitter was able to ground out to first baseman Nick Slater but that allowed Grand Rapids Christian to take a 1-0 lead. A single and a fly out was able to extend the GR Christian lead to 3-0. In the top of the second inning, Junior Nick Slater was able to get on base reaching on an error. Back to back singles by Alex Sibkinski and Tommy Clarey had the bases loaded and no outs. GR Christian was able to get the first out of the inning as Micheal Douglass struck out. Number nine batter Jacob Stoczysnki was able to draw a full count walk which scored Slater and cut the Christian lead to 3-1. A single by Senior Jace Lawton allowed both Sibkinski and Clarey to score and tie the game up at three. Back to back groundouts were able to get the Eagles out of the second. The game remained scoreless until the fifth. After Caledonia went 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth, the Grand Rapids Christian cleanup hitter lead off the bottom of the fifth with a triple. A walk allowed by Aaron Hileman allowed Christian to have runners at the corners and one out. GR Christian then took a 4-3 lead on a sacrifice bunt. The Eagles then extended that lead to 5-3 on a ground ball single to center. A groundout and strikeout then ended the top of the fifth for the Eagles. Grand Rapids Christian maintained their 5-3 lead heading into the seventh inning. After Senior Luke Shuster was able to draw a one out walk in the seventh Jace Lawton was able t advance him on a single to right field. After a pop out by AJ Szabo, Caledonia was down to their final out. Caledonia loaded the bases when Derek Pennington was hit by a pitch. The Fighting Scots tied the game when Corbin Raffler was able to single on a ground ball to right field scoring Luke Shuster and Maddox Wysocki. A groundout by Nick Slater ended the inning for the Scots. Grand Rapids Christian was held scoreless in the bottom of the seventh as the Scots and Eagles headed to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Caledonia went 1-2-3. In the bottom of the eighth, back to back walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Eagles with no outs. The Eagles walked it off on a ground ball fielders choice. Aaron Hileman got the start for Caledonia. The Senior lasted five innings giving up five hits, five runs, two walks and striking out two. Mitchell Smith came in to pitch the six inning as he shutdown the Eagles allowing just one hit and striking out one. Nick Slater then came in to pitch the seventh and eighth innings. Slater was credited with the loss allowing one hit, two walks and striking out one. Senior Jace Lawton went 2-4 with two RBIs. Caledonia will wrap up the regular season on Tuesday when they head to Forest Hills Eastern.