Late Game Heroics Lift Baseball to Sweep Over Aquinas; Claim 4-Seed in WHAC Tourney

(Howell, MI)-- The Cleary Cougar baseball team needed some late heroics in game 2 but were able to pull it out to earn a regular season ending sweep over the Aquinas College Saints Saturday afternoon at Lake Trust Stadium.

In Game 1: Brendan Seman would open the game's scoring in the second inning with an RBI single that scored Braylon Hughes and Conner Boone to make it 2-0. The rally continued one batter later when Brice Wesley singled, scoring Seman and Austin Vincent, as the Cougars led 4-0. Aquinas would answer with one run in the top of the next inning to narrow the deficit to three runs, but Cleary would respond in a big way to take control of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Brice Wesley hit a double down the line to score three runs.  Three batters later, Ryan Rose singled to score the Cougars' 8th run of the game. Aquinas would score one run in the fifth and another in the sixth, but Cleary would respond each time, as they went on to win by an 11-3 score.

Parker Davis would earn the victory on the mound, while Dylan Bloink finished the game in relief to help secure the victory. Brendan Seman, Brice Wesley, Ryan Rose and Jake VanderHaar all had two hits a piece in the game. 

In Game 2:  Aquinas would  start the game with two runs in the top of the first inning to take an early lead. Cleary responded in the bottom half of the inning by loading the bases. Ryan Rose drew a walk to score Brendan Seman, followed by a Jake VanderHaar hit by pitch that scored Brice Wesley. Conner Boone would give the Cougars the lead on a sacrifice fly that scored Brodie Mackay. The score would stay 3-2 until the 7th inning, when Aquinas scored two runs to take a 4-3 lead. Down to their final three outs, Matt Torresan would start a rally with a leadoff single. Luciano Bollini and Brice Wesley would then draw walks to load the bases with one out. Landon Kempainen would come up to bat, and hit a rocket to right field. The Saints' right fielder made a diving effort, but was unable to come up with the grab, allowing Braylon Hughes, who re-entered the game as a pinch runner, and Luciano Bollini to each score to give Cleary a 5-4 walk-off win.

Brody Fay started the game, and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits over 5 innings of work. Josh Lucier would earn the victory, throwing the final 2 innings, and did not allow a base runner. Brendan Seman, Brice Wesley, Landon Kempainen, Brodie Mackay, Ryan Rose, Matt Torresan, and Luciano Bollini each had 1 hit for the Cougars.

Cleary finishes the regular season with a 29-19 record, and 18-10 in the WHAC.  The 29 total wins and the 18 conference wins are both program records.

The Cougars will be the 4-seed in next week's WHAC Tournament, where they will take on the 5-seed Aquinas College Saints on Wednesday, April 29.  The game will be at either 2:00 PM or 4:00 PM at the Meijer Sports Complex in Grand Rapids.

*Picture Courtesy of Jim Ford*