DETROIT NEWS- June 15, 2003

O.L. St. Mary's is unlikely Division 2 champ
By Tom Markowski

BATTLE CREEK -- A weird season for Orchard Lake St. Mary's ended in similar fashion.
St. Mary's outlasted Grand Rapids Catholic Central and won its second Division 2 title in six years with a 12-6 victory Saturday at Bailey Park.
The result in itself is strange. No one in the St. Mary's program had thoughts of a state title when the season began. St. Mary's failed to qualify for the Catholic League playoffs, won three one-run games in the districts and have been the underdog since.
"The wins in the district and regional is what we were riding on," St. Mary's Coach Jeff Willis said. "Those games build character. If you do the little things right, good things will happen."
The championship game had a little of everything, including a player ejection, a run scored on indifference, a steal of home, a balk, two batters reaching base after striking out, eight errors (seven by Catholic Central) and 39 batters reaching base safely.
St. Mary's (22-11) trailed, 6-4, before scoring twice in the fourth, once in the fifth and five in the sixth.
Junior Brandon Larson (10-4) gave up 12 hits, including nine in the first four innings, before settling down. He struck out six and walked one. Freshman catcher Jon Castine had three hits and junior Kyle Miller three RBI.
"I was nervous, but it was a big rush," Larson said. "There were more errors on both sides then in the last four games. Both teams were nervous. It was certainly nice to get those five runs. They weren't coming back after that."
St. Mary's scored the winning run on a botched squeeze attempt. Brandon Wilkins was caught off third base when Mark Sisson failed to lay down a bunt. Catcher Josh Lehmkuhl threw to third and Wilkins then broke for home where he was easily safe as no one covered.
Catholic Central (35-5) tried to bring the tying run across in the top of the sixth with the same strategy. Dan Plachta, who replaced clean-up hitter Tom Korte (ejected in the fourth for bowling over third baseman Mark McDaniel in a rundown) missed the bunt that led to an out then struck out to end the inning.
"We picked one of those days when nothing went right," Catholic Central Coach Mark Rasmussen said. "I don't think you can make that call (ejection). Maybe a warning but not that. He's a 3.5 student. That kid's a class act."
Korte (.454) is also the Catholic Central's top hitter.

More about the Orchard Lake Schools, in the news . . .