Liggett, GR Christian Zero Out Opponents, Zero In on Championship Day
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
June 16, 2023
EAST LANSING – Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett senior pitcher Joey Randazzo knew the magnitude of the opposing lineup and opposing pitcher.
But he insisted there wasn’t extra pressure on him going into a Division 2 Semifinal against 2022 champion Ada Forest Hills Eastern.
“My goal is never to put up zeroes,” Randazzo said. “My goal is to pound the zone and let my defense work. My job is just to pound the zone.”
Randazzo did better than that.
He pounded the zone and also happened to put up zeroes, tossing a 5-hit shutout to lead Liggett to a 2-0 win over Forest Hills Eastern in what was the definition of a pitchers’ duel.
Liggett, which won the Division 3 title two years ago, will go for its seventh Finals championship at 2:30 p.m. Saturday against Grand Rapids Christian.
The most dominant players all game were Randazzo and Forest Hills Eastern senior Jacob Pallo, who entered the game with a 0.49 ERA and allowed only one hit through his first five innings of work.
After having only one runner get to second base over the first five innings, Liggett finally mounted what turned out to be the deciding rally in the bottom of the sixth.
A single by Randazzo and a double by junior Reggie Sharpe set the table with two outs for senior Oliver Service. On a 3-1 count, Service hit a tapper in front of the plate that was fielded by Pallo, who had to hurry his throw to first to get the speedy Service.
The throw got past the first baseman, allowing Randazzo and Sharpe to score.
In the top of the seventh, Randazzo gave up a leadoff single to Pallo, but a double play and a popout ended the game.
Pallo allowed just three hits and one walk to go along with six strikeouts in what also was a terrific performance.
“He pounds the zone, and he does what I ask him to do,” Liggett head coach Dan Cimini said of Randazzo. “He throws off-speed and moves the ball all over the place. He’s got like 12 different fastballs. He’s just a gamer.”
There will be a new champion in Division 2 with Forest Hills Eastern dethroned, but it was still quite a run for the Hawks over the last two years to win a title and get back to the Semifinal round.
“Just the growth throughout the season to get to this point was tremendous,” Forest Hills Eastern head coach Ian Hearn said. “Hats off to Randazzo. He mixed it up really well and kept us off balance.”
Grand Rapids Christian 4, Flint Powers Catholic 0
It was deja vu for Grand Rapids Christian and senior pitcher Kyle Remington.
Last year, Remington was the winning pitcher in a Division 2 Semifinal, allowing just one run in a complete-game performance.
A year later it was pretty much a duplicate performance, except this time Remington didn’t allow any runs, tossing a 7-hit shutout to lead Grand Rapids Christian past Flint Powers.
Now, the Eagles hope it won’t be deja vu Saturday, when it will try to not repeat the loss in last year’s championship game.
“I understand how difficult the road is getting here,” Grand Rapids Christian head coach Brent Gates said. “We’ve had a goal from day one to get back here and finish the job. We’re one away now.”
The Eagles (35-5) earned another opportunity thanks in large part to Remington, who struck out seven and walked one.
Remington’s biggest moment came in the bottom of the first inning, when he got out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam with a strikeout.
“It was pretty big not to give up any runs in a bases-loaded jam,” Remington said. “I think it was a slider. I can’t really remember, but it was pretty huge.”
Grand Rapids Christian opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, scoring three runs on three hits and an error.
Cam Seth plated one run on a fielder’s choice, and then senior Isaac Hubka hit a single to center that scored two more runs.
In the bottom of the third inning, Powers had runners on first and second with one out, but following a single to center by senior Jack Dawley, a perfect relay to home by Grand Rapids Christian cut down the Powers’ baserunner at the plate.
Powers couldn’t get a 2-out hit, and the game remained 3-0.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Eagles made it 4-0 on an RBI single by junior Parker Seth.
Powers (33-9-2) was making its first appearance in a Semifinal since 1984.
“They played hard all the way to the end,” said Powers’ Tom Dutkowski, who completed his 41st year as head coach. “I don’t feel like we lost so much as we got beat by a team that played a little bit better than us. They had a little more timely hitting and made a couple of plays that were really outstanding. It was a well-played game by a very experienced Grand Rapids Christian team.”
PHOTOS (Top) University Liggett catcher Oliver Service lays out to get to a foul ball Friday at McLane Stadium. (Middle) A Liggett player lets out a yell during his team's win. (Below) Grand Rapids Christian’s Josh Winkle (12) attempts to race home in front of a play. (Photos by John Castine/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Small Ball Drives St. Patrick, Plymouth Christian Capitalizes on Big Rally
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
June 13, 2025
EAST LANSING – It may be an old-fashioned style of baseball, but Portland St. Patrick isn't complaining.
While many teams may prefer to slug it out en route to a Finals championship, the Shamrocks are literally content to taking it a step at a time. Case in point was Friday's 7-0 win over Norway in a Division 4 Semifinal at Michigan State's McLane Stadium.
St. Patrick bunted seven times, with at least six contributing to runs as the No. 1-ranked Shamrocks danced into Saturday's 5 p.m. championship.
It's not always the case, but moving runners along – any way possible – is part of the team's strategy, sophomore shortstop Jerryd Scheurer said.
"For us it's like hitting a home run. It's part of what we do every day," said Scheurer, who scored three runs. "Our dugout loves it. The team gets hyped up when we do it."
Combine an outstanding three-hit shutout from junior pitcher Brady Leonard, five Norway errors and just enough clutch hits to complement the small-ball approach, and St. Patrick will play in its first final since 2017's 6-2 win over Hudson. It will be the Shamrocks' fifth trip overall to the championship game.
St. Patrick improved its record to 33-1. The team's only loss was 10-5 to Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, which halted a 26-game winning streak in the second to last regular-season game. That loss was avenged by the Shamrocks 5-4 in 12 innings in the Regional Final.
St. Patrick coach Bryan Scheurer said the team isn't necessarily wedded to the idea of a bunt-at-will approach, but they'll pick spots and utilize the weapon as best as possible.
"It's about the situation being part of what we do," he said. "When we get people on, we want to move them along. It's something the players buy into. Maybe it's not glorious, but they not only accept it, they embrace it."
The strategy was never more evident than during a three-run third inning that snapped a scoreless tie. The Shamrocks sent eight batters to the plate, managed only a double and a single – neither of which drove in a run – and still managed to score the three runs.
The rest was left up to Leonard, who surrendered only three singles, two to Owen Baij. Norway (28-5-1) managed to get only two runners on base in the same inning once. Leonard said there was no secret to what was working for him.
"Everything," he said. "I try to trust my stuff and know it'll get us here. I thought I pitched well."
Norway coach Troy Adams said the loss represents a key teaching moment.
"I didn't do a good job of preparing them for a brand of baseball you don't normally see, and that's on me," Adams said. "They get baserunners on and put you in a bind. We've got to get better at certain things we don't do. But hats off to St. Patrick. It took the No. 1 team in the state to eliminate us again."
Norway lost in last year's Final to back-to-back champ Beal City 10-0.
Plymouth Christian Academy 9, Petersburg-Summerfield 1
Plymouth Christian (29-7) bunched six hits with three errors, a sacrifice fly, two wild pitches and a walk to score seven runs in the third inning. The outburst turned a 2-0 lead into a 9-0 margin.
Luke Janigian threw a two-hitter for the win while also contributing an RBI in that third inning. Josh Yeager and Carter Dattilio also drove in runs with singles. Janigian struck out nine and walked two.
The win furthered an outstanding tournament showing by Plymouth Christian's pitching staff, which has allowed only five runs over six games with three shutouts.
"We didn't know much about them, but Coach said just get ahead early and command your pitches," Janigian said. "A shout out to the boys in playing behind me. When you throw strikes, good things happen."
Plymouth Christian coach Eero Perkola said the team relies on a substantial level of experience.
"Our 1 and 2 (starters) throw strikes, and we also have a couple crafty lefties in the bullpen," he said. "They trust the defense wholeheartedly. They just let the defense work, and especially in Division 4, that's nice."
Petersburg-Summerfield coach Reid Olmstead said five errors are far too many to make against good teams.
"We've been playing fundamental baseball; we just didn't do it today," he said. "Maybe it was nerves. Or sometimes when you make one or two errors, it snowballs. That was definitely the case today. You have to play clean baseball in big games."
PHOTOS (Top) Portland St. Patrick's Tyler Thelen rounds third base during his team's Semifinal win over Norway. (Middle) Plymouth Christian Academy's Luke Janigian throws a pitch during his team's victory.