With their hopes of repeating as OAA I champs dashed, the Dragon varsity baseball squad turned their attention towards making a trip to Battle Creek.
Bailey Park in Battle Creek will host the semifinals and finals of the state tournament. It will take the Dragons five wins to get there, starting with two in district play at home on June 3.
After struggling through an offensive slump earlier in the year, Lake Orion appears to be hitting its stride at just the right time.
The Dragons scored six runs in the second inning at Troy on May 24, part of a 10-3 rout.
Jon Ruggeri gave up just two runs in five innings of work, and Joe Barnes hit a grand slam to pace the team.
The Dragons then took on Rochester Adams and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in a three-way doubleheader at Oakland University on May 27.
Against Adams, LO jumped out to an early lead and then held on for a 5-3 victory.
The bats were paced by a two-hit, two RBI performance from Greg Hall, and Lee Dickinson pitched five innings while giving up just four hits for the win. Josh Deeg pitched the final two innings for the save.
Against St. Mary’s, a three-run blast late in the game by Connor Mielock wasn’t enough for a comeback effort, as the Dragons fell 10-5.
The Dragons are now 17-10 on the season, and will host either Romeo or Stoney Creek at 10 a.m. on June 3.
The winner of that contest will take on either Oxford or Utica Eisenhower later that afternoon for the district crown.