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Grand Lake's Huston Dunn throws to first to complete the double play after forcing out Muskegon's Dalton Dick during Sunday's GLSCL game at Montgomery Field. The Mariners won 4-2 for their 12th straight victory.
CELINA - If the Grand Lake Mariners are feeling the pressure during the team's current winning streak, they're not showing any on the field.
The Mariners took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning and the bullpen shut down Muskegon for the 4-2 win on Sunday at Montgomery Field to sweep the three-game holiday weekend series over the Clippers in Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League play.
The Mariners (21-5), who extended their streak with wins of 12-4 and 4-2 on Saturday after Friday's game was suspended three pitches in due to storms and a power outage, have now won 12 straight games and have swept four straight series.
"The guys are doing a great job of playing fundamental baseball," said Mariners skipper Mike Roberts. "When we need a bunt, we're getting a bunt. When we need to get a two-out base hit, sometimes not every time, we're getting some. We left the base of loaded a couple times today, but they've really worked hard. When I say that, (I mean) they've practiced hard, and we practice a lot."
Sporting their new alternate jerseys of Carolina blue, a nod to Roberts, a former University of North Carolina player and head coach, the Mariners didn't break a sweat after the Clippers (13-14) plated two runs in the top of the fourth. Kaden Howard led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch from Cournell Bennett McCoy. Isaiah Domey followed with a shot to shortstop, but the throw to first was short and bounced away to put runners at second and third. Roberts wasted no time and brought in newcomer Kaden Plank for Bennett McCoy, who had scattered a hit and a walk over three-plus innings. Plank struck out Ben Meyers, but Dalton Dick singled to right to bring home both runners to make it 2-0. After a single by Taylor Head, Plank got two straight outs to get out of trouble.
Grand Lake wasted no time in taking control in the bottom of the inning. Brandt Kendall and Maalik Perkins drew walks off Clippers reliever Zane Gregg. Noah Drake then laid down a perfect bunt to load the bases for Landon Tiesing, who lofted a deep-enough fly to center to bring home Kendall for the first Grand Lake run. Perkins and Drake then executed a double steal of second and third. The throw to second was off the mark, allowing Perkins to dash home to tie the game. Huston Dunn then blooped a single to right to score Drake to give the Mariners the 3-2 lead.
Grand Lake's Noah Drake (7) runs home as head coach Mike Roberts watches the ball during Sunday's game.
That was all the Mariners needed Christian Douglass and Alex Dues shut down the Clippers. Douglass came on to pitch the fifth and after allowing a lead-off walk, kept the Clippers from passing second base in the inning. In the sixth, Ben Meyers led off with a single, but After an out, the Mariners ended the inning by turning the second 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Douglass then retired the side in order to get through the seventh.
The Mariners added a run in the seventh as Parker Vaughn led off with a walk. Pinch-hitter Forrest Day bunted Vaughn to second. Matthew Hutchinson brought home Vaughn with a single to make it 4-2.
Grand Lake's Parker Vaughn goes to his knee to make a play on the baseball during Sunday's GLSCL game with Muskegon at Montgomery Field.
Fort Recovery grad Dues took the mound in the eighth. After getting the first two outs, Domey singled before Meyers grounded out to short to end the threat.
In the ninth, Dues got the first two outs before hitting Nick Moss with a pitch. Dues didn't waste time, striking out Brayden Turner for his fifth save of the summer.
"Our relief pitching has really improved, and so it's given us a chance," said Roberts. "Our starting pitching has been good, but our relief pitching has kept us even so that we can then break out (for more runs)."
Dunn went 3-for-3 for Grand Lake.
Mariners 12, Clippers 4
A nine-run third inning rocketed the Mariners into the lead to win the first game of the unscheduled Independence Day twin bill.
Muskegon scored twice in the top of the second inning on Howard's two-run single to make it 3-2, but the Mariners went to work in the bottom of the third. A Kendall walk, a CJ Filipek single and a Huston Dunn walk loaded the bases for Day, who singled past shortstop to tie the game. After the Clippers got the second out, Noah Drake drew a four-pitch walk to score Filipek to put the Mariners in front 4-3. Tiesing brought home another run as a grounder resulted in everyone being safe. The Clippers made a pitching chance, but Solomon Harwood walked after working the count full to score Day. Luke Wildes then doubled home Drake and Tiesing and went to third on a wild pitch. Kendall returned to the plate and walked. Filipek then hit his second single of the inning, clearing the bases to make it 11-3.
Both teams scored in the fourth, with the Mariners' run coming on Perkins' steal of home.
Sean Krueckeberg started and pitched three innings of two-hit baseball with five walks and four strikeouts. Celina graduate Tanner Wendel scattered two hits and a walk over the next three innings before Elias Alvarado closed the door in the seventh.
Filipek went 3-for-3 with three RBI for Grand Lake. Day aded two hits and Wildes drove in three runs.
Mariners 4, Clippers 2
The second game was a regular nine-inning contest, and the Mariners needed a big seventh inning to break a tie and sweep the doubleheader.
Grand Lake was held scoreless until the fourth when Tiesing singled home Day to tie the game at one. A wild pitch brought home a run for the Clippers in the top of the sixth, but Harwood singled home Perkins in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the tie.
In the bottom of the seventh, Vaughn started the comeback with a one-out single. After Day bunted his teammate to second, Drake walked to bring up Perkins, who took a 1-1 offering to right-center for a triple, bringing home Vaughn and Drake for the go-ahead runs.
Jackson Murcer, who took over for Bryce Eggleton in the eighth inning, allowed just one walk over the final two innings to earn his first save of the summer. Eggleton allowed one hit and two walks in 1 2/3 innings of relief to improve to 2-0.
Vaughn and Day each had two hits for the Mariners.
Next up for the Mariners is three games with Michigan to wrap up the season series. The Mariners and Monarchs will play a doubleheader Tuesday starting at 5:05 p.m. at Hill Stadium at Hillsdale College before wrapping up things Wednesday at Montgomery Field.
