MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP – After giving a very good Mona Shores squad a tough battle in two games on Tuesday, the Reeths-Puffer baseball team believes it has what it takes to compete for a district title on the first weekend of June.
The Rockets jumped out to an early lead in Game 1, but lost 2-1 in a low-scoring affair.
R-P appeared poised for victory in Game 2, holding a lead through six innings, but untimely a bad seventh cost the Rockets in a 4-2 loss.
For Reeths-Puffer Coach Butch Attig, the two narrow losses demonstrated that his team can compete with anyone in the upcoming district tournament, if the players can learn to close things out.
R-P's Trent Reichert tags a Mona Shores runner. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“At some point they have to understand,” Attig said about his team losing the lead in the last inning of Game 2. “We have to be mentally stronger and mentally tougher. We’re not doing the small things to build on a lead. We’re not putting teams away.
“We need to understand that we need to shut people down. This is the third time we’ve lost a lead in the seventh and it’s tough. We’ve played really well up until the last inning.”
Holding a 2-0 lead headed into the top of the seventh in Game 2, Reeths-Puffer appeared to be cruising behind a dazzling pitching performance by Trent Reichert.
The Rockets gained the early advantage when Caiden Theisen stole home in the second inning and Kyle Schlaff hit an RBI single to score Quinn Alderink in the fifth inning.
Reichert delivers a pitch. Photo/Jeremy Clark
However, Reichert walked the leadoff Mona Shores batter in the seventh, then four straight hits gave the visitors a 3-2 lead.
“You can’t walk the leadoff hitter,” Attig said. “Then they get a hit. But we have to make plays behind (Reichert) because he tossed a gem. I’m proud of our pitching overall.”
The Sailors added an insurance run in the seventh to take a 4-2 lead before Reeths-Puffer came to bat for the final time.
Following two outs, David Wilhelm singled to right, Schlaff hit a single and a Mona Shores error gave the Rockets runners on second and third.
Caiden Theisen hauls in a pop fly for the Rockets. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The rally ended with a strikeout, however, and R-P walked away with two close losses.
Reichert totaled five strikeouts over seven innings while taking the loss on the mound.
In Game 1, Reichert had the lone RBI in the first inning for Reeths-Puffer while Mona Shores scored one run in the first and one in the third to win 2-1.
Jaxson Whitaker pitched 6 2/3 innings for R-P while allowing one earned run on eight hits and striking out five.
“We have to be able to stick two games together for a district Saturday,” Attig said about the upcoming tournament. “We now know we can compete. We know we can compete against Mona Shores if it comes to it in the district final. It’s all about that one Saturday.”
Reeths-Puffer will travel to Mona Shores for a single game on Thursday before playing Montague in a doubleheader at Lake Michigan Credit Union Ballpark in Comstock Park on Saturday.
