On Tuesday the 14U Bobcats dropped their season opener in the Kensington Valley Baseball & Softball Association (KVBSA) game 4-1 to the Saline Swarm. The Cats, searching for greater competition, made the decision this year to move from the Greater Flint Baseball League to the KVBSA. The Swarm didn’t disappoint, giving the Bobcats a hard fought battle. Andy Lendzion pitched four innings, striking out three and Kyle Lavallee hurled the fifth and sixth innings, holding the Swarm to just four runs. Solid defense kept the Cats in the game, however multiple walks kept Saline swarming the bases. Lendzion led the Cats quiet offensive attack with two hits and scored the only run sparked by a great sacrifice bunt by Alex Maygar. The Bobcats will take on the Pinckney Pirates on May 31st.
The mighty 8U Bobcats kept their hot start to the season ‘Fired Up’ by improving to 10 and 0 in Greater Flint league play. The young Cats rolled up four straight victories against Flushing 18-3, Tri City 20-1, and Millington 8-2 and 22-1.
A balanced offensive attack in the Flushing victory was paced by 3 for 3 performances from Elek Cumming, David Lally, Nathan Helms, Lucas Murray and Seth Austermann. All the Cats sluggers got in on the hit parade, including another big home run by Gabe Shall and a 3 RBI performance from Conlan Mueser. In addition to the hot bats, solid defense and attentive base running proved too much for the Raiders.
Tri City was met with the familiar big offense and strong team D, which continue to be the winning formula as the Cats keep rolling. All Cats sluggers tallied at least 2 hits including an Austermann HR, triples by Lally and Helms and big doubles by Cumming, Mueser, Jacob Lewis and Cameron Columbus. Mueser led the way with 4 knocks followed up by Carson Barcey and Helms with 3 each.
The stout Cats defense showed their stingy ways in holding the Millington sluggers to 2 runs in Game 1 of this double header, only to follow that performance up by only giving up 1 run in Game 2. Game one’s offense was led by Brayden Powell, Cumming and Barcey with 2 RBIs each. Gavin Greil and Mueser added doubles while Barcey and Cumming tallied a triple a piece. Game two saw Cumming slugging his way to 4 RBIs, with Powell, Barcey, and Murray each tallying 3 hits each. Travis Parsons and Shall punched across 2 runs of their own. The complete offensive attack included 8 doubles and 4 triples with 8 out of 11 Cat’s batters going for extra bases.
The holiday weekend fun had subsided, but someone forgot to tell the Grand Blanc 13U Cats. Grand Blanc opened their 2012 Greater Flint Baseball League season by unleashing their own version of fireworks in the first inning against Frankenmuth. After two quick outs, the Cats exploded for seven runs en route to a 12-3 victory. Brendan Pedrin led the way with 3 hits while Blake Bogan and Cal Smeets chipped in with 2 hits apiece. Brandon Bednar reached base all four times with 3 walks and a single while Nolan Hamilton doubled to go along with two walks. Connor Carlson also reached base 3 times on two walks and hit by a pitch. Defensively the Cats were sparked by a fine running catch in center field by Spencer Fiewig, robbing a Frankenmuth batter of extra bases. Not to be outdone, Bennett Stokes made a perfect throw from centerfield nailing a runner at third base. Lawson Bainbridge took the hill and struck out 4 batters in his two innings of work while Spencer Fiewig, Bednar and Gage Sullivan shut down the Frankenmuth offense, hurling four scoreless innings. The Cats will be playing in the Union City Classic tournament this weekend before hosting Frankenmuth again next Tuesday.
The Grand Blanc 11U Bobcats and the Swartz Creek Dragons resumed their previously suspended game exactly where they left off, freezing the Dragons’ offense at the bottom of the third holding the score to one a piece. In the top of the fourth, the Bobcats led by Keagan Titmuss’ double, scored four runs giving the Cats a 5-1 lead. Swartz Creek closed the gap in the bottom of the fourth, bringing the score to Bobcats 5 and Dragons 3.
In a strong effort to maintain the lead, Drew Kranz walked and Titmuss singled, kick starting a five run fifth inning and a commanding 10 to 3 lead. The Dragons scratched out two more runs and the Cats added one. But solid pitching by Titmuss and Toby Mclean coupled with an impressive 14 hit offensive attack, led by Jake Riem with three hits and two RBIs, powered the Cats to an impressive 11-5 victory.
Game two saw the Dragons striking first, scoring one run in the first inning. Tyler Pasko and Diego Dionne responded by hitting back to back singles igniting the Bobcats lineup to a first inning 7-1 advantage. The Bobcats continued to cool the Dragons with another hot 14-hit attack. Drew Kranz’s 4 for 4 performance led the offensive barrage, while Titmuss continued his slugging ways going 3 for 4. Strong pitching by Eric Delgado and Hayden Fernald, who combined for 10Ks, hurled the Cats to a 12 to 5 victory.
Two runs down in the rainy first innings of the game the Bobcats lead an offensive attack against the Goodrich Thunder. Bobcat Drew Kranz led with a single followed by Keagan Titmuss drilling a double into center field. The Bobcat’s offense continued its momentum with two more singles and two doubles leading to five runs in the fifth. The ‘Cats never looked back as their offense accounted for 12 hits led by Drew Kranz with two hits including a double, Eric Delgado with 2 hits and a double and Bryce Bush with 2 hits. Solid pitching by Hayden Fernald, Eric Delgado and Drew Kranz assisted in a 14 -4 win for the Bobcats. Pitching Totals: 9 K’s and 5 BB’s
Friday, May 18th, 7:30 p.m. VS South Lyon
A well played game by both South Lyon and the Grand Blanc Bobcats ended with South Lyon edging out a 3 – 1 win over the ‘Cats. 1 – 3 Loss.
Saturday May 19th 10:00 a.m. VS East Lansing
The Bobcats started out strong against the East Lansing Baseball Club leading them 3 to 1 after four innings of play. A dramatic turn in the fifth inning saw East Lansing jump ahead with a four run inning. The Bobcats answer back with 2 runs tying the game 5 to 5. A scoreless sixth inning is followed by a seventh seeing both teams scoring 1 run each bringing the score to 6 to 6. Heading into the eighth inning Lansing scores a run and they now lead the Bobcats 7 to 6.
With runner Eric Delgado on second the Bobcats draw three straight walks by Justin Raybuck, Bryce Bush and Donovan Vanitvelt sending Delgado to home for the tying run. With the bases loaded hitter Tyler Pasko comes to the plate driving a single up the middle sending Justin Raybuck in for an 8 – 7 victory over East Lansing. 8 – 7 victory.
Saturday May 19th 4:00 p.m. Vs Okemos
With a win of the toss the Bobcats take to the field. The Grand Blanc Bobcats pitching dominates the Okemos players. Pitcher Eric Delgado’s strong performance led to 3 scoreless innings for Okemos. Justin Raybuck took to the pitching mound for the fourth and fifth innings continuing to prevent Okemos from scoring. Pitcher Drew Kranz steps on to the mound to continue the Bobcats dominance over Okemos. The Bobcats strong pitching assisted by a solid defense which saw Eric Delgado going three for three and Tyler Pasko going two for two and a walk led to a nine run victory over Okemos. 9 – 0 victory.
Bobcats placed second in their Division 2W – 1L
The 10u Cats traveled to East Lansing to play in their first tournament of the season riding a five game winning streak. Though they didn’t win the tournament, they came away with a 2-1 record and garnered the tournament experience a first year club needs to be successful.
Game one on Saturday against Fowlerville was a nail biter from the start. Neither team could push any runs across the first two innings while sending only eight men to the plate. In the top of the third inning, the first three Cats reached base. After Reed Bearden singled, Christian Dion was hit by a pitch and Scott Crawford reached on an error to load the bases. Two batters later, Luke Bogan plated the Cats first two runs with a single.
Fowlerville stormed back with three of their own off of starter Brendan Silpoch in the bottom of the third, but that didn’t stop the Cats. Kyle Pijaszek started the fourth inning with a single, went to second on a passed ball and stole third. Tylor Leedom tied up the ball game by doubling to right center to knock home Pijaszek. Leedom then took the game into his hands as he struck out two in the fourth and three in the fifth.
In the top of the sixth Luke Bogan came up clutch again by leading off the inning with a triple to deep right field. He then gave the Cats the lead for good by racing home on a passed ball, sliding in underneath the tag of the Fowlerville pitcher. Tylor Leedom then shut the door on a 4-3 Cats victory by striking out the side to finish the game with 8 K’s. Bogan and Pijaszek combined to go 3 for 4 with 2 walks, 2 runs and 2 RBIs.
Game two vs Williamston was a rough one from the start. The Cats allowed four runs in the top of the first and three in the second to fall behind 7-0, before their bats came alive. Gregory Piscopink started a two out rally in the bottom of the second with a double. He was driven home on a single by Stuart Johnston. Johnston then came around to score the Cats second run on a passed ball.
After trading runs in the third, the Cats defense fell apart. After the first two Williamston batters were retired in the top of the fourth inning, the Cats allowed five runs to come across to score on a single, a walk and five errors to make the score 13-3. The Cats rallies in the fourth and fifth innings fell short as they could only push across 5 runs to make the final score of 13-8. Both teams finished with 12 hits and the Cats were led offensively by the bottom half of their order. Blake Ryan, Gregory Piscopink, Stuart Johnston, Reed Bearden, Scott Crawford and Murphy Prue combined to go 8 for 12 with 6 runs and 5 RBIs
The Cats came back strong on Sunday vs Laingsburg. Brendan Silpoch took the mound again and started the Cats rolling by striking out the side in the top of the first. Then after the first four Cats reached base and three runs had already scored, Gabriel Brady sent a pitch flying over the left fielders head and raced all the way around the bases for his first home run of the year giving the Cats an early 5-0 lead and a lead they would not relinquish.
They scored one more in the third and four in the bottom of the fifth to complete the scoring. Tylor Leedom came in and shut the door by allowing no runs on three walks and 6 strike outs in two innings of work. Gabriel Brady led the team offensively by going 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
The 10U Cats return to league play for two weeks before returning to tournament action in Frankenmuth June 1-3.
The Grand Blanc 11u Cats are proving to be an offensive machine as they defeated the Sting 21-11 in Greater Flint Baseball League play. Toby Mclean led the attack going 4 for 4, with 4 RBIS, as he blasted two triples, one double, and scratched across a single. One of the triples was a ‘Bomb’ to center field coming oh so close to hitting for the cycle. Donovan Vanitvelt joined the 1,000 club by going 3 for 3, knocking across two runs and scoring 2 times. Diego Dionne joined in on the fun going 3 for 4, with a triple and 2 singles, 2 RBIs and scoring 3 times. With the game fairly close and the Cats winning 9 to 4 after two, the hot hitting Cats didn’t stop, scoring 12 more runs to open the game up. At the end of the night, 20 hits, 21 runs! Every player on the Cats recorded a hit in this total team effort.
The Grand Blanc 11U baseball club continued their winning ways by defeating the Birch Run Panthers 21 to 5 in Greater Flint Baseball League play. This victory gives the Cats 4 wins against 0 defeats. Leading the offensive attack for the Cats, Eric Delgado challenged for a cycle with a single, double and triple, in his exciting 3 for 3, 4 RBI performance.
The 9U GB Cats fell to the Crossroads Coyotes, 4-2. The young Cats used clutch pitching and outstanding defense to keep the game close. With the score knotted at 1-1 entering the bottom of the 4th inning, the Wiley Coyotes pushed across 3 runs to take a 4-1 lead. In the top of the 5th, the Cats loaded the bases but managed only one run to close the gap to 4-2. The Cats were unable to muster any more offense losing a close fought battle. Jason Hamilton and Noah Gartrelle were stellar on the mound combing to pitch 5 innings with 7 strikeouts and no walks between them. Brendan Gervers lead the Cats offensive attack with 2 hits including a double. Ryan Raybuck and Nathan Lynch drove in the 2 Cats runs.
