BRIDGMAN — The semifinals of the Division 3 District Baseball Tournament brought together familiar foes in Lakeland Conference opponents Berrien Springs and Cassopolis with the winner advancing on to the championship game.

Berrien Springs did everything it needed to do both offensively and defensively as it beat the Rangers 10-0 in six innings.

The only question left unanswered after the game was whether or not the Shamrocks starting pitcher Jonathan Shembarger threw a no-hitter or not. There are some that believe that he did, and some that believe that Cassopolis had two hits in the contest.

Either way, two hits weren’t enough to get it done and the Rangers’ season comes to an end with a record of 13-9.

Cass threatened in the first inning as with two outs Nathan Blad reached on a Shamrock error. A double by Dwayne Morgan moved Blad to third, but with runners on second and third Ryne Nickel grounded out to second ending the inning for the Rangers.

In the bottom of the first, Kevin Hatcher walked the first two Shamrock batters before getting Nicholas Phillips to pop up to second baseman Morgan. Cleanup hitter Kyle Rago singled knocking in both Shamrock runners and Berrien Springs was quickly up 2-0. The next two batters would get out and Cassopolis came away from the first trailing by two.

Neither team could do anything in the second inning, and after the Rangers went three up and three down in the top half of the third inning, the Shamrocks sent seven batters to the plate, and scored three of them to go up 5-0 after three innings of play.

Cassopolis quickly got two outs in the top half of the fourth inning before Nickel would single and steal second putting a runner in scoring position, but the Rangers couldn’t get that timely hit to push that run across leaving the score still 5-0 heading into the bottom half of the fourth.

Cassopolis once again could not keep the Shamrocks off the scoreboard as Berrien Springs added two more runs in the fourth to increase the lead to 7-0.

Shembarger would retire the next six batters in order for Cassopolis as the Rangers trailed 7-0 heading to the bottom half of the sixth.

In the sixth the Shamrocks had led off with a walk, followed by a Garrett Shembarger double. After the next two Shamrock batters reached by error and a walk, it was Rago once again coming through with a hit as his single drove in the finals runs of the contest bringing the score to the 10-0 final.

“We made some mistakes today that we normally don’t make” said Cassopolis coach Matt Brawley. “I don’t know if it was nerves or what but we didn’t execute like we have been and the better team won today.”

With the win, the Shamrocks (24-10) advanced to the district final to face Bridgman (22-5), who advanced by beating Brandywine 3-0.

Division 3 District Baseball

At Bridgman

Cassopolis 000 000 – 0 2 3

Berrien Springs 203 203 – 10 7 1

Jonathan Shembarger (W) and Matthew Rudlaff

Kevin Hatcher (L) and Rick Hayden

2B: Garrett Shembarger (BS), Jonathan Shembarger (BS), Dwayne Morgan (C)

Records: Berrien Springs 24-10, Cassopolis 13-9

Division 3 softball

BRIDGMAN – The Cassopolis softball team was eliminated from the Division 4 District Tournament on Saturday by Berrien Springs in the semifinals, 17-2.

The loss left the Rangers with an 0-21 record.

Cassopolis managed just two hits in the contest. Brooke Green suffered the loss.

Division 3 District softball

Semifinals

Berrien Springs 913 13 – 17 15 0

Cassopolis 000 00 – 0 2 8

Caitlin Weaver (W, 11-4) and Danielle Downey, Jessica Forraht (2)

Brooke Green (L) and Cheryl Simpson

2B: Mackenzie Moody (B), Danielle Downey (B), Jennifer Marren (B), Alexis Teichman (B)

3B: Jennifer Marren (B)

Records: Berrien Springs 22-8, Cassopolis 0-21