WARREN, Mich. – The shorthanded Macomb Baseball team fought valiantly but ultimately fell twice Thursday (April 27) to the Henry Ford Hawks in games that went down to the last at-bat. The Monarchs dropped both games by a 5-2 final score, the first coming in extra innings.
In game one,
Ryan VanSlambrouck (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) got the start and put on a solid performance across seven-plus innings of work. VanSlambrouck was impressive throughout and went on to record eight strikeouts – one shy of his career-high set earlier this season against Concordia. The sophomore right-handed pitcher scattered seven hits across his seven-plus innings of work and only allowed a pair of earned runs, putting his team in position to win it late.
With the Monarchs trailing 2-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, freshman outfielder
Andrew Sleiman (Leamington, Ontario/Cardinal Carter) stepped to the plate and delivered with two-RBI double over the left fielder's head that plated
Josh Medrano (Surprise, Az./Shadow Ridge) and a pinch-running
Kaden Kovach (Yale, Mich./Yale). The game-tying hit came with one out and put the Monarchs in great position before two outs were recorded on the base paths later in the play.
Both Medrano and
Ben Dillabough (Warren, Mich./Warren Mott) recorded a single to center field to start the two-run seventh. Kovach entered the game for Dillabough as a pinch runner.
With the inning ending on the base paths and scored tied, 2-2, game one went to extra innings and the Hawks took advantage by scoring three in the extra frame to win it, 5-2.
Sleiman paced the Monarchs with two hits in the opener.
In game two, the Hawks got on top 4-0 and never trailed in the 5-2 victory. Dillabough and
Jeremy Pudlik (Waterford, Mich./Waterford Mott) led the Monarchs with two hits each, while
Griffin Baalaer (Macomb, Mich./L'Anse Creuse North) and
Logan Rybarczyk (Chesterfield, Mich./Anchor Bay) each recorded fifth inning RBIs to inch the Monarchs closer to the Hawks.
Trailing 5-2 entering the home half of the seventh inning, the game once again came down to the last at-bat after the Monarchs put two runners on with nobody out. A double play turned by the Hawks flipped the momentum and led to the visitors securing the three-run win.
Ryan Polega (Macomb, Mich./Henry Ford II), a sophomore righty and recent Rochester University signee, battled tough on the mound and got out of several jams to keep the Monarchs within reach.
The Monarchs visit The Corner Ballpark in Detroit Saturday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against the Hawks.
