2022 MHSAA Tournament: Division 1 State Semifinal - Orchard Lake St. Mary's vs Grosse Pointe North
June 19, 2022
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2022 MHSAA Tournament: Division 1 State Semifinal - Orchard Lake St. Mary's vs Grosse Pointe North
EAST LANSING - A year to remember was completed on Saturday.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s finished off a 44-0 season with a 1-0 win over Grosse Pointe North in the Division 1 state championship game at Michigan State, the third season in a row the Eaglets have claimed a title.
With Grosse Pointe runners on first and second and two away in the top of the seventh, Orchard Lake first baseman Blake Grimmer made a great play on a ball hit down the first-base line to knock the ball down, then beat Drew Hill to the bag for the final out of the game to solidify the first D-1 state title ever for the Eaglets, which moved up from Division 2 this season.
It marked the second straight inning that the defense of Orchard Lake came up big. In the sixth, North attempted a double steal with Jake Tedesco on first and James MacAuley on third and one away, but the Eaglets executed a defensive play to perfection to nail MacAuley going back to third for the second out. After a walk set up another first-and-third situation, Jasen Oliver, who came on in relief of starting pitcher Ciaran Caughey, then recorded a strikeout before surviving the seventh for the save to give Orchard Lake its 66th consecutive victory.
The top-rated team in the nation scored the only run of the game in the first when Nolan Schubart hit a one-out single to center and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt. After Jake Dresslhouse walked and stole second, Ike Irish hit a grounder to short plating Schubart with the lone run by the Eaglets.
That proved to be enough with Caughey on the mound. The Kent State commit threw 5.1 innings of three-hit ball before Oliver took over with a runner on third and one out in the sixth.
Brennan Hill was superb in defeat, going the distance permitting three hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out nine. After giving up the first-inning run, the uncommitted sophomore left-hander threw five innings of shutout ball against an Orchard Lake team that had outscored the opposition 55-3 during the tournament. The Eaglets did not have a runner reach second base after the first.
Orchard Lake, now a state champion for the sixth time - 2022, 2021, 2019, 2015, 2003, 1998, closes out the season at 44-0 with consideration as the greatest team in state history. Grosse Pointe North, playing in the state finals for the first time since winning it all in 2006, finishes the year at 23-8.
HOT TAKES
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Caughey gets the nod for his shutout performance over 5.1 innings, walking two and fanning nine. The senior right-hander did not allow a Grosse Pointe North leadoff hitter to get on base until the sixth, giving up singles in the first and third in addition to the sixth along with two-out walks in the fourth and fifth.
DIVISION 1 MVP: Schubart, a senior committed to Michigan, followed up a two-hit, four-RBI performance in the 9-0 win over Forest Hills Northern in the state semifinals, highlighted by a grand slam, with two of the three Orchard Lake hits in the finals, scoring the lone run of the game.
LINESCORE
Grosse Pointe North 000 000 0 - 0 4 2
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 100 000 x - 1 3 2
Records: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 44-0, Grosse Pointe North 23-8.
Winning Pitcher: Ciaran Caughey (5.1 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 9 strikeouts, 2 walks). Other: Jasen Oliver (1.2 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 strikeout, 2 walks).
Losing Pitcher: Brennan Hill (6 innings, 1 run, 3 hits, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk).
Leading Hitters: (Grosse Pointe North) - Drew Hill single; James MacAuley 2 singles; Breean Hill single. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) - Jack Crighton single; Nolan Schubart 2 singles, run; Ike Irish RBI.
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