Eddies win first district title since 2017

Published 12:36 pm Wednesday, June 5, 2024

By Scott Novak

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EDWARDSBURG ­— For the first time since 2017, the Edwardsburg baseball team captured the Division 2 District championship with a 4-3 win over Wolverine Conference foe Three Rivers Saturday.

The Eddies (20-9) advanced to the finals with a 12-2 win over another league team — Sturgis — in the semifinals.

With the win, Edwardsburg moves on to the Division 2 Regional semifinals at Gull Lake High School against host Gull Lake.

The last time the Eddies reached the regional semifinals they defeated Battle Creek Harper Creek 6-3 to advance to face Lakeshore for the title. The Lancers edged Edwardsburg 2-1 on its way to winning the Division 2 state championship.

On Saturday, the Eddies scored the game-winning run in the top of the seventh. Edwardsburg trailed the Wildcats 3-2 heading into the sixth when it scored a run to tie the game.

In the seventh, an error and a sacrifice bunt helped set up the game-winning score for Edwardsburg.

Zac Zache reached base on an error and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alex Rudolph. A single by Brady Cook drove in the game-winner.

Brody Schimpa then slammed the door on Three Rivers in the bottom of the seventh by striking out the side. Schimpa went the distance, allowing three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.

The Eddies had 10 hits in the title game, led by Joe Lundgren, who was 3-for-3. Cook had a pair of hits, while Schimpa and Payton Bookwalter both doubled.

 

Edwardsburg 12, Sturgis 2

The Eddies built a 5-1 lead over the Trojans and then sealed the semifinal victory with a seven-run seventh inning.

Edwardsburg had 10 hits including a 3-for-4 performance from Zache, who homered and drove in four runs. Rudolph had a pair of hits, both doubles. Ryun Buck also doubled.

Bookwalter worked the first six innings to earn the victory. He allowed one earned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts. Lundgren pitched the seventh inning for the Eddies.

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