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By Dave Sontag
PBR Michigan Scout

We look to bring the state of Michigan top-notch high school coverage throughout the entire state.

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PBR Michigan Spotlight Game: #3 (D-1) Saline vs Monroe

Game 1

Sometimes being effectively wild is a positive thing for a pitching staff. Despite 10 walks by the Saline starting pitchers Monday, the Hornets defeated Monroe twice, 5-0 and 10-1, on Monroe’s home diamond.

Dodging wildness, first-game starter Cole Daniels (six walks) did not allow a hit in his five innings of work. The burly sophomore southpaw held the Trojans off the board just in time for junior strike-thrower Kellan Huang to finish the game.

Huang threw the final two innings, issuing just one hit and no walks as Saline whitewashed the Trojans.

Monroe’s Braxton McKart held the potent Saline attack down for most of the game. He limited the Hornets to five hits in his 6 2/3 innings on the hill.

The big hit of the game for the Hornets was a two-run home run by junior first baseman Ted Eppinga in the 4th inning.

Eppinga’s long blast to left followed a nine-pitch, one-out walk to senior Rich Hovde (Wayne State University commit).

Saline then chased McKart from the mound in the 7th when senior Thomas Miller (Oakland University commit) walked, stole second and rode home on a single by Huang.

Courtesy runner senior Steve Kise stole second and finished the Hornets’ scoring when he scampered home on a single by junior third baseman Jake Finkbeiner.

Monroe’s Mitchell Huffman broke up Saline’s no-hit attempt in the 7th with a lead-off bloop single to right. After an error, Huang induced a pop-up and a double play to complete the first game. Huang struck out a pair in his two innings of work.

Junior outfielder Ryan Foley had two singles and two stolen bases to lead the Hornets’ attack.

Game 2

In the second contest, Saline scored in every inning but the 2nd – punctuated with a five-run 7th – to earn a 10-1 win and keep its SEC record perfect.

Again, Saline’s starting pitcher battled control issues but still wiggled out of trouble to gain the victory. Hovde lasted four innings, walked four, and gave up three hits and no runs on the way to the win.

First-game hurler Huang again came on to calm Monroe’s attempt to score. The right-hander pitched two innings and did not walk a Trojan hitter. 

Tyler Zmich pitched the 7th inning and gave up an unearned run for Monroe’s only tally of the day.

Miller opened the scoring for Saline in the 1st frame when he tripled to right and scored on senior Mike Schuby’s line-drive single into center.

The hit by Schuby was his first of four hits on the day. The second baseman also walked to earn a perfect day at the plate.

Skipping the 2nd inning, Saline tallied runs in each of the last five innings to vault ahead of the Trojans. The Hornets banged out 13 hits on the day, led by Schuby, who also picked up two RBI. Miller tripled twice, singled once and scored three runs. Finkbeiner singled twice to help the Hornets’ cause.

Saline stole 10 bases in the doubleheader and also was helped defensively by turning four double plays. Catchers Cal Livesay and Mike Monahan were brilliant behind the plate. The two split time in the twinbill and collectively threw out three Monroe base runners.

Monroe was led at the plate by pesky shortstop Kyle Spare. The leadoff hitter singled twice in the second game and walked three times on the day.

Saline will finish its three-game series with Monroe today. The Hornets ran their record to 17-2. Monroe’s slate dipped to 5-12.

Game 3

Senior Josh Nelson kept his record perfect Wednesday, having to overcome a rugged first inning.

After rebounding from a walk – sandwiched between two Saline errors – Nelson and the rest of the Hornets roared back to take a 9-2 win from visiting Monroe.

Monroe’s Spare led off the game and reached on a Saline error. Huffman then walked. After a strikeout, McKart singled to left to score Spare.

McKart then stole second and Mitchell scored on a wild throw to the plate as Monroe attempted to execute a double steal.

The 2-0 deficit after the first inning seemed to be the tonic that Nelson and his teammates needed to wake up.

The Wayne State commit then hurled four scoreless and hitless innings to keep the Trojans in check. Senior John Holt (Eastern Michigan commit) pitched the last two innings to preserve the Saline win.

Similar to Tuesday’s second-game win over Monroe, Saline was powered by their middle infielders.

Senior Miller (Oakland University commit) and senior second baseman Schuby each collected three hits to lead a 13-hit barrage by the Hornets.

Miller began his carnage with a long home run in the first inning to pull Saline within a run. Schuby led off the 3rd inning with a single. After a walk to sophomore Daniels, junior outfielder Ryan Foley slashed a single to right to knock in Schuby.

Foley stole second and junior first baseman Eppinga drove in two runs with a sharp single to center to give Saline a 4-2 lead.

The Hornets then tacked on two more runs in the 4th when Miller and Schuby singled to begin the frame. After a double steal, junior third baseman Finkbeiner drilled a single to left to plate two runs.

Saline then added three more runs in the last two innings to earn its 18th win of the season. The win moves Nelson to a perfect 4-0 on the campaign. Nelson has not given up an earned run all season.

Monroe’s loss drops its record to 5-13.  

Top Performances in double header

+Daniels (S): WP (5 IP, 0 runs, 0 hits)

+Hovde (S): WP (4 IP, 0 runs, 3 hits, 3 Ks)

+Huang (S): 4 IP, 0 runs, 0 walks, 4 Ks

+Eppinga (S): HR, double, 3 RBI

+Miller (S): 2 triples, single, 4 runs, 2 SB

+Finkbeiner (S): 3 singles, run, 2 RBI

+Schuby (S): double, 3 singles, 2 RBI

+Spare (M): 2 singles, 3 walks

+McKart (M): 6.7 IP, 5 hits, 6 Ks

Line Score Game # 1

Saline               010 200 2 -- 5
Monroe            000 000 0 – 0

WP – Daniels
LP – McKart

Line Score Game # 2

Saline               101 111 5 -- 10
Monroe            000 000 1 – 1

WP – Hovde
LP – Musarelli

Top Performances in game #3

+ Thomas Miller (S): HR, double, single, 3 runs, 2 RBI

+ Mike Schuby (S): 3 singles, 2 runs

+ Ryan Foley (S): 2 singles, 2 runs

+ Ted Eppinga (S): 2 singles, 2 RBI

+ Josh Nelson (S): WP, 5 IP, 0 ER, 1 hit, 7 K’s

+ Braxton McKart (M): 2 singles, RBI

Line Score Game # 3

Monroe               200 000 0 --  2   3   1
Saline                  103 221 x --  9  13  2

WP – Nelson
LP – Turner