The Goodrich baseball team may be short on experience, but they’re proving their mettle in the thick of a division race.
The visiting Martians swept Byron in a Genesee Area Conference Red Division doubleheader, taking the opener 7-5 and the nightcap 11-2.
Goodrich is now 23-7 overall and 16-1 in league play, and remain tied with Mt. Morris for first in the division. Goodrich is one back of Mt. Morris in the loss column heading into a May 24 makeup game at Mt. Morris.
‘As long as neither of us loses Thursday (May 20), then if we beat them (May 24), we’ll be tied for first, and if they win, they’ll probably win the league,? Goodrich coach Bob Foreback said.
In the opener against Byron, Matt Hughes and Nick McDonald led the offensive charge for Goodrich, each tallying two hits. The Martians scored once each in the third and fifth innings, three in the sixth, and two in the seventh.
Goodrich had to hold off a furious Byron rally, as the Eagles scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. However, Nick Wesener, who came on in relief of Max Bell, was able to hold off the Eagles despite allowing all five Byron runs.
Bell picked up the win for Goodrich, striking out 12 and allowing only two hits.
It was Kirk Elsworth’s turn to shine in the nightcap, as the Goodrich outfielder went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored. Bell chipped in by going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, and two runs scored.
Basil Wilson went six innings to earn the win for Goodrich, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out six, although he did walk nine Byron batters. Dom Rivera relieved Wilson in the seventh and closed out the game for Goodrich.
Even though many of this year’s Martians have never been in a pennant race before, they are responding to the challenge, Foreback said.
‘We’re doing real well,? he said. ‘We’re getting better, and that’s all you can ask.?