MUSKEGON TWP. – For as good as the Reeths-Puffer baseball team felt on Tuesday after beating powerful Zeeland East, the Rockets felt the complete opposite on Thursday.
Tuesday’s 1-0 win handed the Chix their first conference loss of the season and kept the Rockets in the O-K Green championship race.
But on Thursday, Zeeland East visited Reeths-Puffer and turned the tables, winning 5-2 in the completion of a game that was suspended due to darkness on Tuesday, then beat the Rockets 8-2 in the series rubber game.
R-P's Ethan Frang makes contact with a pitch. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The Chix clinched the conference title with the two victories, while the Rockets instantly turned their attention to what they have to do to prepare for districts.
“I know this team is capable of what it did Tuesday,” said R-P head coach Butch Attig. “I don’t have the words because it is a little frustrating. I know what we’ve done and what we’re capable of. But I’m proud of how the guys battle and respond overall. We just have to learn and understand.”
Thursday began with the carryover game from Tuesday tied 2-2 in the sixth inning.
Reeths-Puffer was unable to score in the top of the sixth, then Zeeland East took a 5-2 lead on a bases loaded double with two outs in the bottom half of the inning.
R--P pitcher Jack Yonkman. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The Rockets got a runner on base in the seventh inning but were unable to score, losing 5-2.
In Thursday’s full game, Zeeland East took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the second inning.
R-P’s Jaxson Whitaker led off the home half of the inning with a double before a Lukas Johnson infield single advanced him to third.
Whitaker came home to score on a balk, making the score 3-1, then Johnson scored on a Zeeland East error to cut the deficit to 3-2.
R-P's Holden Earnest throws a runner out at first. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Two critical R-P errors led to two Zeeland East runs in the third inning, making the score 5-2.
“The first five runs were unearned,” Attig said about the costly errors his team committed. “It adds to pitch count and everything like that. We have to learn from that and grow from it.”
Two Zeeland East runs in the top of the sixth made the score 7-2 before one run in the top of the seventh made the final score 8-2.
Reeths-Puffer is now 18-6 overall on the season and 12-5 in O-K Green play with four regular season games remaining.
R-P's Trent Reichert hauls in a popup. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The Rockets will next host Zeeland West for a doubleheader on Monday.
With just 12 days before a pre-district game against Kenowa Hills, Attig is hopeful his players use the last few regular season games to get ready.
“We have to take a lot from these last games,” the coach said. “That was a very good baseball team today and a very well coached team. They have solid pitchers, and we had some positives, but we should’ve played better.”