EAST LANSING – The Ada Forest Hills Eastern baseball team didn’t panic when it fell behind by two runs in Saturday’s Division 2 Final.

The Hawks simply did what they’ve done all season – they responded. 

FHE overcame the early deficit and emerged with a 5-2 win over Standish-Sterling at McLane Stadium. 

“Respond has been our word this year, and we’ve lived by that,” said Hawks senior Max Ferrick, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.

“Any time we get down, we’re like, ‘All right, it's time to respond, it’s time to get back and do our thing.’ We know we’re better, we just have to do it.”

The top-ranked Hawks (42-1) captured their second Final over the last four years after also winning in 2022.

They also ended this season on an incredible 41-game winning streak.

“They’ve been together for a long time, and it’s a great group,” FHE coach Ian Hearn said. “We have very dedicated players that are super passionate about the game, and they can’t get enough of it. It was fantastic to win a state title with this group and all the time and effort they’ve put in.”

Second-ranked Standish-Sterling, playing in its first Final, tallied a pair of runs in the first inning to snag a 2-0 lead.

However, the Hawks countered with five unanswered runs the remainder of the game.

“The word ‘respond’ is a big word for us,” Hearn said. “Each year we have a building block and this year it was ‘respond’ for our program, and that will continue. They embraced it right away and believed in it and went all in on it. They have so much fight, and they constantly respond.”

FHE scored once in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from James Dempsey and three times in the third inning to grab its first lead. 

Ferrick roped a shot to the gap for a double that tied it 2-2. Then a throwing error by the Panthers allowed two more runs to score to put the Hawks ahead 4-2. 

Ferrick added a two-out double in the fourth inning.

“It’s kind of full circle for me,” said Ferrick, who played on the 2022 team as a freshman. “But this year my brother is on the team and some of my best friends that I’ve played with my whole life. I felt like I had to do it today for my family because this team is like a family, and it really felt great today.”

FHE junior Colton Brinks was brilliant in relief of starter Landen Lindley.

Brinks allowed only two hits in 4 ⅔ innings pitched and struck out the final three batters in the top of the seventh after walking the lead-off hitter.

“I was a little nervous there with everyone on their feet and excited, but I trusted I could throw my pitches and (in) the defense behind me,” Brinks said. “I’ve been playing with them since I was little, and I guess the adrenaline kicked in and I locked in and got the last three strikeouts.

“I was in eighth grade the last time they won, and I came to that game. I’ve always dreamed of being able to do it one day, and actually being able to accomplish it is an amazing feeling.”

Panthers coach Ryan Raymond was thrilled with the game’s start, but his team was unable to manufacture quality chances the rest of the way.

“That was the only rally we really got going early, and it seemed like all our other rallies started after two outs,” Raymond said. “We were excited, ready to play and I thought our effort was excellent today. I couldn’t be more proud, and these kids battled and they fought for themselves while making school history.”

Sterling-Standish managed only five hits and left nine runners on base.

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) Colton Brinks (15) makes his move toward the plate during Forest Hills Eastern’s championship-clinching win Saturday. (Middle) FHE’s Max Ferrick (2) waits on a Standish-Sterling pitch.