By Anthony Schulte
Review Contributor
PORT HURON, Mich. — After shocking the nation by defeating number one ranked Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the district 29 final, the Lake Orion Dragons baseball team had the regional round of the MHSAA Division One playoffs on the horizon.
Lake Orion was joined by White Lake Lakeland, Sterling Heights Stevenson, Macomb Dakota, Grand Blanc, Davison, Rochester Adams, and Troy Athens in their section of the regional bracket, hosted by White Lake Lakeland High School.
Game one was a 9-4 win against the White Lake Lakeland Eagles in the regional semifinal on June 7.
Lake Orion struck first, scoring one run in the first inning, followed by three runs in the second. Lakeland answered with a run of their own in the second, followed by two in their half of the third inning.
Orion added a run in both the fifth and sixth innings, while the Eagles added one more run in the bottom of the sixth. The Dragons scored three more runs in the seventh frame, closing out a dominant victory. Carson Womack, Max Firestine, and Tristan Hill all drove in seventh inning runs to help Lake Orion secure the win.
After winning the first game of regionals, it was on to the regionals finals on June 10 at St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron.
The Dragons had a familiar foe on the schedule, the Macomb Dakota Cougars. Lake Orion closed the regular season with a senior night double-header against Dakota, losing both games 8-1 and 4-3, respectively.
Dakota got the bats going early in the regional final, scoring a run in both the first and second innings. Orion scored their only run of the contest in the third frame on a double off the bat of Joey Bruno. The Cougars scored three more runs in the fourth, sealing a 5-1 victory over Lake Orion.
Dakota moved on to play Grand Blanc in the state quarterfinal. They won 8-6, advancing to the state semifinals.
The Dragons’ loss to the Cougars marks the end to their historic playoff run and season, finishing 24-17-1.