MUSKEGON - To win championships, teams have to show resilience, and the Reeths-Puffer baseball team showed plenty on Saturday, capturing the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association City Tournament title with tan exciting 8-7 victory over North Muskegon in the finals at Marsh Field.
Reeths-Puffer started the day with a 5-0 victory over Muskegon Catholic. Then things turned very tense for the rest of the afternoon.
R-P’s resilience started showing in the semifinals in a 3-2 victory over rival Mona Shores. The Sailors loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and a hit would probably have ended the game and sent the Rockets home.
But R-P relief pitcher Trent Reichert put out the fire, getting a strikeout and coaxing the Sailors into a line-out to end the game and send the Rockets to the finals against top-seeded North Muskegon.
R-P pitcher Trent Reichert. Photos/Andrew Johnson
Reichert started on the mound against the Norse and began to have issues with cramping.
Despite the cramps, Reichert tossed five innings, allowing four runs while striking out seven.
“It was very tough,” Reichert said. “One of the two legs would have a muscle cramp up every inning.”
As impressive as Reichert’s effort was on the mound, his biggest moment might have been at the plate in the top of the third with two runners on.
Reichert ripped a double that scored Ethan Frang and Colton Bessinger to tie the game at 2-2.
“That swing he has when he goes gap-to-gap is special.” said R-P head coach Butch Attig. “It doesn't get much sweeter than that. Not only from the mound did he perform, but he went up and got a big hit.”
Later in the inning, Ethan Muskovin, who was running for Reichert, scored on a wild pitch to give Reeths-Puffer a 3-2 lead.
Brayden Mitchelson had a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth while Quinn Alderink added an RBI single to give the Rockets a 5-2 advantage.
North Muskegon hit a two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to cut the Rocket lead to 5-4.
R-P’s Caiden Theisen ripped a two-run double in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 7-4.
In the sixth inning, Frang scored on a double play to give the Rockets a seemingly safe 8-4 lead.
But North Muskegon kept things interesting by scoring two runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh.
The Norse made a bid to tie the game in the seventh with a runner on third and one out, but R-P reliever Holden Earnest got a North Muskegon hitter to pop out, then Rocket outfielder Landyn Wilson made a diving catch in right field for the final out.
The Rockets were champions at that point, and they earned it the hard way by answering challenge after challenge, all day long.
“As soon as it hit the air, I knew I had a chance,” said Wilson about his phenomenal game-ending catch. “I just went for it and luckily I got it. I was pretty confident. Right after I caught it, I saw everyone running at me and it was a lot of emotions.”
Attig was happy to see Wilson extend out, leave his feet and dive for the catch.
“No matter what, even if it gets past you, sell out is what I was thinking,” the coach said. “If it gets past you, then so what? We live for another pitch because they just tied the game.”
With the win, Reeths-Puffer capped an incredible day that saw the Rockets win city championships in softball and tennis, as well as baseball.
“It’s a great day to be a Rocket,” Attig said. “I don’t have words for what my guys did today. I’m just so happy for our seniors.”
Reeths-Puffer has now won 10 straight games and is 14-3 overall. The Rockets hope to keep the momentum rolling with district play less than a month away.
“We’re going to move forward and continue to get better in May and go for a district championship,” Attig said. “Now we know we can do it. I’m excited for these young men and we’re going to get some guys healthy.”