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2023 MHSAA Tournament: Division 1 State Semifinal - Novi vs Mattawan

EAST LANSING - Novi was one strike away from its season coming to an end, but an RBI single by Alex Czapski in the top of the seventh inning tied up the game and the Wildcats went on to score three runs in the 10th for a 4-1 win over Mattawan in the Division I state semifinals on Thursday afternoon.

Uli Fernsler threw three innings of one-hit shutout ball in relief to pick up the win for the 18th-rated team in the state in D-I after Andrew Abler went the first seven permitting one run on five hits and two walks while striking out six.

Abler, a Harvard commit, gave up a first-inning run on a two-out RBI single by Brendan Garza and that nearly proved to be the lone run of the game.

Garza, a junior committed to Ball State, surrendered only a second-inning single by Abler until the Czapski base hit to deadlock the game at 1-1 in the seventh. Andrew Kummer reached on a one-out walk and moved to second on a ground out. After Thad Lawler was hit by a pitch, Czapski lined a sharp single to center on a 2-2 pitch and pinch runner Jaden Vondrasek easily beat the throw home.

After Mattawan right fielder Braedan Yager made a nice sliding catch to prevent a Novi uprising in the eighth, both teams threatened in the ninth before Novi pushed across three in the 10th.

Nine-hole hitter Brett Reed led off with a single and Jonathan Aurilia walked before a Caleb Walker bunt single down the third-base line was thrown into left field allowing Reed to score. After two fly outs to center, including an incredible over-the-shoulder grab by Jaxon Engels, Kummer hit a two-run single for a 4-1 lead.

The three-run 10th came after Novi had two on with nobody out in the ninth but failed to score and then Mattawan put a runner on third with one out after a Cole Garza double and sac bunt by Colin O’Reilly. However, a line out to right and strikeout sent the game to the 10th.

Novi, which was the Class C state runners-up in 1973 and has never won a state title, will play Woodhaven in the Division I state finals at 9 a.m. Saturday.

LINESCORE

Novi          000  000  100  3  -  4  6  0
Mattawan  100  000  000  0  -  1  6  2

Records: Novi 31-8, Mattawan 25-12.

Winning pitcher: Uli Fernsler (3 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk). Other: Andrew Abler (7 innings, 1 run, 5 hits, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks).

Losing pitcher: Kaden Jominy (2 innings, 3 runs, 1 unearned run, 4 hits, 2 strikeouts, 2 walks). Other: Brendan Garza (8 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 6 strikeouts, 3 walks).

Leading hitters: (Novi) - Jonathan Aurilia run; Caleb Walker single, run; Andrew Abler single; Andrew Kummer 2 singles, 2 RBIs; Alex Czapski single, RBI; Brett Reed single, run. (Mattawan) - Connor Cole double, run; Brendan Garza single, RBI; Cole Garza single, double; Colin O’Reilly single; Ian Bouche single.