GRAND RAPIDS – Big players have to step up in big games, and that’s exactly what happened for the Reeths-Puffer baseball team in a 3-1 victory over Kenowa Hills on Tuesday in a win-or-go-home pre-district matchup.
It started with senior Jaxson Whitaker, who his better known for stepping up in big basketball games. Whitaker has also been great on the pitching mound for the Rockets this season, and he did it again against Kenowa Hills, allowing just four hits and one unearned run while striking out eight.
“It was the same as always,” said Whitaker about his emotions on the mound. “I’ve got confidence in the guys behind me and I’m just trying to throw strikes. I know my guys have made plays behind me all year.”
R-P's Trent Reichert takes a big cut at a pitch. Photo/Andrew Johnson
Head coach Butch Attig enjoyed his watching his senior pitcher get pumped up as he closed in on the win.
“He showed some emotion in the seventh inning when he got the second out with a strikeout,” Attig said. “You don’t see that much emotion out of him. I like to see that ‘Hey I’m better than you’ mentality and he proved it.”
Reeths-Puffer now advances to the Division 1 district semifinals against rival Mona Shores on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Grand Haven. The winner will advance to the 2 p.m. championship game against the winner of the Grand Haven-Muskegon semifinal game.
The game against Mona Shores is bound to be a good one. The Rockets are 3-1 against the Sailors this season, but two of those wins were by two runs or less.
R-P catcher Landyn Wilson heads out to congratulate pitcher Jaxson Whitaker. Photo/Andrew Johnson
“I get to spend some more time with them,” Attig said about extending the season by at least one more game. “Not only these young men in general, but the seniors. I’ve enjoyed them immensely and we’re going to enjoy this win. I didn’t want to be out in the pre-district, so let’s go out Saturday now and see what happens.”
The Rockets didn’t waste much time grabbing a lead when Holden Earnest ripped an RBI single to score Ethan Frang in the bottom of the first, making the score 1-0. Earnest finished the game with two hits.
In the bottom of the second, Trent Reichert scored Brayden Mitchelson with an RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0. Reichert finished the game with three hits, building on his already great offensive season.
“He stepped up at the plate,” Attig said about Reichert. “He told the guys to get on his back and that’s what he did.”
R-P's Ethan Frang gets a lead off from first base. Photo/Andrew Johnson
In the top of the fourth, Kenowa Hills benefited from a Reeths-Puffer error to cut the Rocket lead to 2-1.
In the home half of the inning, Whitaker helped his own cause by scoring Jack Yonkman on a sacrifice fly and increasing the lead to 3-1.
“We’re a pretty good hitting team, but it’s nice when I can add some runs to help save me a little bit if I need it,” Whitaker said.
Whitaker clamped down over the final three innings, allowed just two hits as the Rockets clinched the victory.
Ethan Frang squares to bunt. Photo/Andrew Johnson
While he was happy to get a W and play another day, Coach Attig believes his team still has some things to clean up as postseason play continues.
“It was a nice 3-1 game but we’re leaving a lot of kids on base and not taking extra bases,” he said. “We’ve got to continue to take chances and apply pressure to the teams we play. We’re going to see Shores and they’re a good team. Then you’d have Grand Haven and they’ll be ready with their number one guy on the mound.
“We had three objectives – beating Kenowa, Shores and Grand Haven. We just checked off the first one.”