By By DON EDEN / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Three-time defending Lakeland Conference baseball champion Berrien Springs (10-2, 6-1) didn't let top ranked (Division 3) Brandywine (13-1,6-1) grab the lead in the conference as they beat the previously unbeaten Bobcats 8-5 Tuesday.
Senior Chris Haas broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the third inning with a home run that would spark the Shamrocks and classmate Greg Toliver followed the next inning with the bases loaded for a 6-3 advantage.
"We did not have a home run in our first nine games but have hit 3 against Niles and Brandywine which we needed for those victories and hope that continues," said Shamrock coach John Donley. "Haas probably would have been the best pitcher in the area this year but will need shoulder surgery and won't be on the mound which hurts."
Both teams scored a couple of runs in the final inning but the pair of Bobcat errors were more costly than the two for Berrien Springs as five of the Shamrock tallies were unearned. The Shamrocks outhit the hosts by a 9-6 margin.
"Berrien Springs is a quality team and our mental toughness was not there as we didn't pitch well, committed too many errors and it seemed every walk scored," said a disappointed Bobcat coach Dave Sidenbender. "We were a little tight as the errors were not our usual defense, swung at bad pitches and had too many base running mistakes which caught us."
The winning pitcher for the Shamrocks was Jordan Carrigan with Matt Baker getting the final two outs. Carrigan struck out eight Bobcat batters with junior Dan Reidebach suffering the initial defeat for Brandywine.
Five was the magic number in the nightcap as each team scored that many runs in that many innings before the game was called for darkness and will be resumed at a later unannounced date.
Brandywine scored four runs in the first inning with sophomore Jesse McCombs driving in half with a double but the Shamrocks answered with four markers of their own in the top of the fourth inning as pitcher turned catcher Carrigan being a key contributor.
"Jordan was a warrior out there today with an outstanding big day in both games," noted Donley. "We normally are a singles team that looks for bloops and hope for the best and need to take chances to create opportunities."
Baker started the second game for the Shamrocks with Toliver coming in to relieve him and was on the mound when the game was called.
Senior Jake Harris started the nightcap for Brandywine with McCombs getting the final outs in the fifth inning with the visitors threatening to take the lead to keep the score tied with the outcome in the dusk of the night.
The Bobcat junior varsity did sweep their doubleheader by 6-0 and 8-7 scores over Berrien Springs.
B. Springs 101 400 2 – 8 9 2
Brandywine 012 000 2 – 5 6 2
Jordan Carrigan (W, 3-0), Matt Baker (7) and Ryne Siebenmark; Dan Reidenbach (L, 4-1), Kyle King (6) and Cameron Ondresky
2B: Baker (BS), Reidenbach (BR), Jake Harris (BR)