Offense Leads Ocelots to Split

JACKSON, Mich- On Saturday (April 29), Schoolcraft went on the road to Jackson to close out their season series with a doubleheader. 

Game 1: Game 1 of the doubleheader saw no shortage of offense, from either team. After 7 innings of baseball, the game would be tied 13-13 and would have to go into extra innings to decide the outcome. Jackson would come out on tip after walking the game off in the bottom of the eighth. 

How we got there... Each team got on the board early with Schoolcraft scoring in the top of the first and Jackson evening up the game in the bottom of the second. After the first two innings, the flood gates opened. The top of the third saw the Ocelots plate 4 runs in the inning, highlighted by a Bryan Tuttle 2 RBI double. The Jets did not back down, Jackson would hang a 6 spot in the bottom half of the inning, largely in part, thanks to a 3-run home run. Schoolcraft responded, quickly, with 3 runs in the top of the fourth, thanks to a Landon Kempainen 2 RBI single. Like the previous inning, Jackson would respond with 2 runs of their own in the bottom half to take a 9-8 lead after 4 innings. Th Ocelots would have their highest scoring inning of the game in the top of the fifth. Schoolcraft would plate 5 runners in the inning with Sawyer Pace having a 2 RBI single, Kempainen with a 2 RBI single and Nate Saavedra having 1 RBI single. Jackson would go quiet in the bottom half before scoring 4 runs over the next two innings to tie the game. Schoolcraft would be unable to get a run across in the top of the eighth before Jackson would get a run to end the game. 

Some highlights were, Pace (3-5, 2 RBI), Kempainen (4-5, 6 RBI), Saavedra (2-4), Tuttle (2-4), Mason Malysz (2-4). 

Game 2: The offense did not disapoint the Ocelots in game 2. Winning the game 11-3, Schoolcraft would tally 15 total hits with 3 extra base hits. 

Schoolcraft jumped on the Jets quickly in game 2, scoring 5 runs in the top of the first. Saavedra, Tuttle, Malysz, Barrett Barker and Jacob Gresham would all have an RBI in the inning. Tuttle would double in the top of the second to score Kempainen and Saavedra would ground out in the third to score Gresham. After 3, the Ocelots would lead 7-0. Jackson scored 2 runs in the bottom of the fourth to inch closer, but that would be as close as they get as Schoolcraft got a run in the sixth and 3 in the seventh while Jackson would get 1 in the sixth. 

Highlights from game 2 were, Kempainen (2-2, 3 R), Saavedra (2-4, 2 RBI), Tuttle (3-4, 3 RBI), Noah Felder (2-3), Malysz (2-3, 2 RBI), Barker (2-4, 2 RBI), Gresham (1-3, 1 RBI). On the mound, Philip Miller turned in another good start for the Ocelots. His line read, 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K. Closing out the game was Josh Michaels who went, 1 IP, 1 H, 3 K. 

Schoolcraft returns to the diamond on Thursday, beginning their four-game set with 2 on Thursday and 2 on Friday. All 4 games will take place at the Corner Ballpark with Schoolcraft being the away team on Thursday and the home team on Friday. First pitch on Thursday is set for 2:00 PM and Friday is set to start at 1:00 PM. Friday's games are also the Schoolcraft Baseball alumni day where we invite our alumni out to celebrate them and root on the Ocelots in hopes of clinching a playoff berth.