By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
BATTLE CREEK – The No. 1 ranked Brandywine Bobcats didn't score early on when they had some chances and as a result fell to No. 10 ranked Allendale 3-1 in the Division 3 state baseball semifinals at C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek Friday night.
Allendale scored a run in the third; a run in the fourth and one in the sixth to account for its scoring.
The Bobcats scored its lone run in the top of the fifth to cut the Allendale lead to 2-1.
Back-to-back singles by Shane Bankston and Zach Edquist put runners at first and second for Kyle King, who singled to drive in Bankston.
But the Bobcats had several other chances to score runs as they led off the second inning with a double by Dominique Pompey, led off the third inning with a single by Edquist and had a one-out single by Pompey in the fourth inning.
Pompey ended up at third base in both innings, but Brandywine couldn't come up with the big hit when it needed it.
"We didn't execute," Brandywine coach David Sidenbender said. "We couldn't get a bunt down. We had strikeouts. We didn't put the ball in play today as much as we had been in the past. The kid pitched a great game."
Allendale used a pair of singles and an error to score its first round, while in the fourth inning it took a single, hit batsman and a walk to put a runner in scoring position.
A single made it 2-0 in favor of Allendale.
The final run of the game came in the bottom of the sixth as with two outs, Allendale got two walks and two wild pitches, the second of which plated a run.
The Bobcats went down in order in the seventh inning.
Allendale finished with just four hits in the contest. Devin VanderMolen singled and drove in a run, as did Tyler Moran.
Phil Tolman was the winning pitcher as he allowed just four hits with five strikeouts.
The Bobcats had seven hits, led by Pompey with a single and a double. Edquist also had two hits, while Bankston and Cameron Ondresky also had singles.
Dan Reidenbach pitched well for the Bobcats, scattering the four hits and striking out eight.
"I thought he pitched well," Sidenbender said. "I thought he showed himself well out there, he battled."
In the other Division 3 semifinal, Grass Lake defeated Beaverton 4-1.
Grass Lake will take on Allendale for the state championship today at 6:30 p.m.
In Division 2, defending state champion Mt. Pleasant 6-4 edged Lakeshore.
Mount Pleasant scored twice in the first, once in the fourth, twice in the fifth and once in the sixth to account for its runs.
Brandywine 000 010 0 – 1 7 1
Allendale 001 101 x – 3 4 0
WP – Phil Tolman (A) and Tyler Moran
LP – Dan Reidenbach (B) and Cameron Ondresky