By Dylan Hefflinger
Managing Editor/NW Scout

EAST LANSING, MI – The University Liggett Knights win back-to-back state titles in two different divisions. In 2013 they won in Division 4 and this season they win a Division 3 title after blanking the Decatur Raiders 9-0.

Freshman Gehrig Anglin did not look like a freshman on Saturday night as the righty shut down the Decatur Raiders to just two hits and four walks while blanking the Raiders through seven innings.

The Knights had chances in most innings and that started early as they loaded the bases in the first but were unable to score.

The Knights broke through in the fourth as Cole Zingas was hit by a pitch with one out and moved up on a single to right by Nick Azar (Michigan commit). Anthony Simon came to the plate and hit a routine ground ball to short that was misplayed, loading the bases for Anglin.

Anglin delivered with a sacrifice fly to put University Liggett up 1-0.

The Knights broke the game open in the fifth as they scored seven runs on three hits, three walks, one HBP, two errors, one sacrifice bunt and one squeeze.

Azar started the innong off with a walk. Anthony Simon followed with a sacrifice bunt that Joby Kawaski misplayed, putting two on.

Anglin followed with a walk to load the bases. All the runners moved up on a passed ball.

After a strikeout, Ian Clark laid down a perfect squeeze with two strikes on himself.

The wheels fell off after that.

Connor McCarron reached on an error at first on a dropped pop up. Adam Fiema singled and Zingas reached on a dropped fly ball in center, ending the day for Kawaski.

Matt Saylor came on and walked his first batter, Azar. Simon roped an RBI single up the middle to cap off the scoring with the Knights on top 9-0.

Top Performers:

• Gehrig Anglin, the freshman threw a two-hit shutout while striking out four. At the plate Anglin had a single, two HBP, one run scored and one RBI.
• Nick Azar, reached base all four times with a single, two walks, a HBP and two runs scored.

Linescore

Decatur                   000  000  0  -  0  2  4

University Liggett    002  070  x  -  9  4  1

Records: University Liggett 25-8, Decatur 24-7.

Winning pitcher: Gehrig Anglin (7 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 4 strikeouts, 4 walks).

Losing pitcher: Joby Kawaski (4.2 innings, 9 runs, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts, 4 walks, 4 HBP). Other: Matt Saylor (1.1 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 strikeout, 2 walks, 2 HBP).

Leading hitters: (Decatur, 2 hits) – Joby Kawaski single; Dale Mann single. (University Liggett, 4 hits) – Adam Fiema single; Nick Azar single; Anthony Simon single; Gehrig Anglin single.