Baseball Stars sweep twinbill at home

By Jayden Hewitt
Sports Editor

The sweet-swinging baseball Stars swept a doubleheader at home vs. Ancilla College on a beautiful sunny day for baseball on Thursday, April 25. The Stars took the first game 21-2 and the second game 4-1.

Pitcher Lukas Brewer picked up his seventh victory in the first game, going four innings, striking out five and allowing just two runs. Blake Gedrich pitched an inning in relief to close the door in the first game.

Pitcher Nick Baker started the second game, going four innings and allowing just one run. Pitcher Braden LaRusso grabbed the win in relief with three innings of one-hit, scoreless ball.

Reliever Blake Gedrich closes out the fisrt-game win for the Stars on April 27.  Photo by Jake Leslie

 

LCC Head Coach Steven Cutter spoke about his pitching staff and what they mean to the team, backed by a huge offense.

“Our pitching staff has done a great job competing against other teams all season, no matter what the scoreboard says,” Cutter said. “Our staff has a lot of faith and trust in them and consider them to be some of the best in junior college baseball.”

The Stars had many offensive heroes during the doubleheader. Infielder Vince Hardy played just one game, gathering two hits and five RBIs. Infielder Hunter Lay stayed hot with six hits and four RBIs on the day. Infielder Shane Juday, infielder Bobby Butler and outfielder Will Bowen each tallied three RBIs.

Vince Hardy plays often, but does not start every game. Cutter spoke about Hardy and how all of the non-starters come in and play well at the drop of a hat.

“Vince has been swinging a hot bat the last few weeks,” Cutter said. “He is an excellent testament to what an ultimate teammate looks like. Vince and all of our other players are ready at a moment's notice.

“If you look in our dugout at any given time, you will see bench players getting mental at-bats in. That is something that we have worked hard on, and they have bought into that process.”

In other recent action, the Stars split a doubleheader at KVCC on April 20. The Stars also split at home vs. KVCC on April 22 and 23. The Stars bludgeoned Mott CC 20-2 on April 24. They also swept a doubleheader at Aquinas JV on Wednesday, April 26.

The loss to KVCC on April 20 ended a 28-game winning streak for the Stars. Cutter spoke about what’s coming, even after the end of the streak.

“We enjoyed it to the fullest, and it's rare that you can reel off 28 straight in baseball,” Cutter said. “Almost as rare is winning our last 34 out of 36 games. We have a lot of trust in this group, and I believe our finest hour was not during the streak, but is yet to come.”

The Stars are now 37-7 overall and 17-2 in the MCCAA Western Conference. The next games will be played on Saturday, April 29 at Ancilla College.