Brandon and Goodrich’s baseball teams proved to be evenly matched when they competed in an April 27 twin bill at Brandon.
The host Blackhawks pulled out a 4-3 win in the bottom of the ninth in the opener, but the Martians rebounded for a 3-1 win in the nightcap. Brandon’s record is now 11-6 overall and 2-0 in Flint Metro League play, while Goodrich stands at 13-5 overall and 10-0 in Genesee Area Conference Red Division play.
The two teams traded runs in the third inning of the opener, each scoring two runs apiece in that frame. Brandon took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but the Martians answered immediately in the top of the sixth, tying the game at three.
Brandon’s Roy Reynolds drove in Andy Harding with an RBI single in the ninth, making a winner of Derek Cowell, who scattered six hits in nine innings.
Nick Wesener took the loss for the Martians on the mound, but Goodrich’s defense didn’t help his cause, committing five errors. All four Brandon runs were unearned.
Max Bell and Craig VanWagoner each had solid games at the plate, producing two hits apiece for the Martians.
In the nightcap, Goodrich spotted the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third, and came back to score a run apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to earn a split in the twin bill.
Bell had another solid game offensively, going 2-for-3 with a home run and a double. Mike Skinner pitched 6-2/3 innings, allowing one run and five hits while striking out five to earn the win.
Tony Kraydich went 2-for-3 and Ray Reynolds threw a four-hitter in a losing cause for the Blackhawks.
Before facing each other, the Blackhawks and Martians saw plenty of action in the past week.
Brandon ran into a buzzsaw April 24 in the form of Hartland, as the host Eagles defeated the Blackhawks 8-4 in the first game and 12-0 in the second game.
Hartland got out of the gates quickly in the opener, scoring three runs in the first inning, one in the second, and three in the third. Brandon tried making a comeback by scoring three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough.
Harding drove in two runs for the Blackhawks, while Roy Reynolds scored a pair of runs.
Poor fielding did in the Blackhawks in the nightcap, as Brandon committed nine errors. Only three of Hartland’s 12 runs in the game were earned.
Meanwhile, the Martians swept a doubleheader from Genesee April 26, winning the opener 11-0 and the nightcap 10-3.
Bell pitched a five-inning no-hitter for the Martians in the opener, with only two Genesee players reaching base, one on an error and the second on a walk.
Dusty Bourassa went 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Martians, while VanWagoner went 2-for3 with three runs scored.
In the nightcap, Basil Wilson went the distance for the Martians, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out three. Wesener led the Goodrich offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and three RBI.
The Blackhawks host Birmingham Groves in a May 4 contest, while the Martians return to action May 3 at LakeVille.