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2023 MHSAA Tournament: Division 4 State Final - Beal City vs Plymouth Christian

EAST LANSING - A memorable tournament run was completed by Beal City on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Plymouth Christian Academy in the Division 4 state championship game on Saturday night.

The Aggies were the beneficiary of unearned runs in the fourth and sixth innings and Cayden Smith, with relief help from freshman Blake Walcutt, shut down Plymouth Christian on three hits. The victory was the fourth all-time for Beal City, which outscored the opposition 63-5 during tourney play this year.

Smith, a junior right-hander, surrendered three hits and no walks while fanning 11 in 6.1 innings on the mound before reaching the 105-pitch limit. Walcutt came in to record the final two outs of the seventh, the last fittingly a pop out to Smith at shortstop.

The Kent State commit scored the first run of the game for the second-rated team in the state in D-4 after Plymouth Christian went in front 1-0 in the top of the fourth on a Riley Brodhagen double and two-out run-scoring single by Tyler Scott. Smith then hit a single to open the bottom of the fourth and went to second on an Owen McKenny sacrifice bunt. After Jack Fussman was hit by a pitch, both runners advanced a base on a passed ball before a strikeout made it two away. However, Jake Gauther reached on a throwing error with Smith crossing home plate for the initial run of the game by Beal City.

What proved to be the game-winning run by the Aggies came in the sixth. Gauthier hit a one-out single to left and two fielder’s choices and a pair of errors resulted in Gauthier scoring to make it 2-1.

Smith had two of the four hits by Beal City while improving his pitching record to 6-2.

Tyler Scott was the hard-luck loser for the fifth-rated Eagles, permitting just four hits and no earned runs in falling for the first time in 10 decisions this season.

LINESCORE

Plymouth Christian   000  100  0  -  1  3  3
Beal City                       000  101  x  -  2  4  0   

Records: Beal City 31-8, Plymouth Christian 34-8.

Winning pitcher: Cayden Smith (6.1 innings, 1 run, 3 hits, 11 strikeouts, 0 walks). Other: Blake Walcutt (0.2 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 strikeouts, 0 walks).

Losing pitcher: Tyler Scott (6 innings, 2 runs, 0 earned runs, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk, 2 HBP).

Leading hitters: (Plymouth Christian) - Riley Brodhagen single, run; Tyler Scott single, RBI; Bradyn White single. (Beal City) - Cayden Smith 2 singles, run; Jake Gauther single, run; Lane Gross single.