Baseball, Softball Roundup: Buccaneers off to a hot start

Carly Grimes had a pair of doubles and drove in four RBIs for the Bucs. Francesca Porath, Cierra Slocum, Abby Styck and Cheyane Ray each added a pair of runs drive in for Grand Haven (4-2).

Freshman R.J. Morrow, who also had an RBI, pitched the Bucs to victory, recording five strikeouts.

In the nightcap, stick struck out four batters, then Morrow closed out the game in the final two innings in an 8-6 Grand Haven win.

Katelyn Messer, a freshman, had a first-inning triple, while Slocum added two doubles.

DuShane and Morrow each added a double while Slocum drove in three runs and DuShane had two RBIs.

Junior Varsity: Grand Haven opened the season with a pair of wins over Forest Hills Eastern. Keely Satterfield pitched the Bucs to victory in the opening game, while Kaylie Spencer had a key hit. In the second game, Jessica Gonzalas pitched while Anna Bush, Lexi Carter and Stacey Dilley had solid games at the plate.

GH BASEBALL SCORES LEAGUE WIN

Mike Ginocchio pitched a complete-game shutout, leading Grand Haven to a 4-0 win over Grandville in the O-K Red Conference opener.

Ginocchio scattered six hits and struck out four while walking only two batters.

Danny Cotter drove in a pair of runs for the Bucs, while Doug Zelenka and Ty VanWieren each added an RBI.

Grand Haven banged out eight hits and did not commit an error.

TROJANS’ SOFBALL FALLS TO NM

Fruitport senior Bari Lee threw a fantastic game, but a pair of routine fly balls turned into home runs thanks to the short fences at North Muskegon, and the Trojans fell to the Northmen, 3-0.

“Bari had pinpoint accuracy, and she was so fluid,” said coach Bob Dorman. “She looked very, very good for so early in the season.”

The Trojans couldn’t get anything going offensively — something they hope to correct when they open Lakes Eight Conference play against Orchard View on Friday.

FPT BASEBALL WINS OPENER

Jon Sullivan was tremendous on the mound, helping Fruitport’s varsity baseball team win its opening game, 2-1, over North Muskegon.

Sullivan went seven innings, striking out eight and allowing six hits. North Muskegon’s lone run was unearned in the top of the seventh inning.

Fruitport scored its two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Mitchell Reyes belted an RBI double, then came around to score on a wild pitch.

LAKERS’ SOFTBALL OVERPOWERED

Spring Lake couldn’t keep pace with Grandville, the No. 3-ranked team in Division 1, as the Bulldogs pulled away for a 15-1 win over the Lakers on Wednesday.

“They are very deserving of their ranking,” said Spring Lake coach Bill Core, whose team is now 1-1.

The Lakers actually got off to a strong start. Pitcher Ashley Keena put Grandville down without a run in the top of the first. Spring Lake then scored in the bottom of the inning as Evie Lorimer led off with a single, stole second, was sacrificed to third, and scored on a squeeze play by Keena.

Grandville responded with six runs in the second and six more in the third to put the game away.

Spring Lake only managed one more hit the rest of the game — a single by Skylar Bench in the bottom of the fifth.

Keena, Cassie Appel and Alyssa Henderson each pitched for the Lakers, who have a busy schedule ahead. Spring Lake hosts Grant for a league doubleheader on Friday, then hosts the Lakeshore Grand Slam Tournament at Softball World in Muskegon on Saturday.

Spring Lake, Whitehall, Coopersville, Alma, Cadillac and Wayland will compete in Saturday’s tournament, with games played at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

WMC BASEBALL, SOFTBALL TEAMS LOSE

The Lady Warriors softball team dropped a 17-0 decision to host Holland Christian Wednesday while the WMC baseball team lost 11-0 to the Maroons.
The Warriors’ softball squad only had two base runners in the four-inning game with Sarah Nestell and Anna Zeerip both drawing walks.

“It was a tough loss, but to a very good team,” WMC softball coach Jeff Nestell said.