Coach Tim McDonald would not have guessed that three runs in two games were all that he would need in Battle Creek for Bay City Western to take the Division 1 state baseball title.
But that’s all he needed.
The Warriors defeated Brother Rice 1-0 on June 15 in the title game. They had defeated Stevenson 2-1 on June 14 in the semifinal game.
Earlier in the week, the Warriors had ended Rockford’s season in the state quarterfinals 1-0.
That’s four runs in three days for the eventual state champs.
McDonald has a 21-year record of 564-198-7. This year’s team ended the season at 42-2. The Warriors lost their first game of the season and then won 42 out of 43.They won a state title and were 13-1 in the Saginaw Valley League.
“I’ve been proud of every team I’ve coached, and I’ve coached some incredible teams,” McDonald said.
“In high school baseball, maybe people can put it in perspective for me, but I don’t know what else I could say.”
The title game was dramatic, with Connor Foley throwing a complete game six-hitter for the victory.
“I said, ‘We’ve got to score some runs,’ ” McDonald said. “They have extremely talented pitchers. I knew runs would come tough, but I was hoping we’d find a way to break out of it. This team doesn’t know any other way. They just know how to win.”
Brother Rice had a 6-4 hit advantage.
In the top of the sixth with two outs, Grant Bridgewater drew a walk and David Fegan came in as a pinchrunner. He advanced to second on what ended up being a critical balk call. Brendan Harrison then singled up the middle to score Fegan for what would prove to be the game’s winning run.
“I can’t imagine what those guys are feeling,” McDonald said. “I’ve been there as a player, but maybe not as a 15-, 16-, 17-year-old kid. But they’ve done it a million times.”
The 2-1 semifinal win over Stevenson was just as dramatic. The Warriors scored single runs in the top of the fifth and sixth. The Titans scored in the bottom of the fifth. Brett Adcock was the winning pitcher for Western. He went all seven innings and gave up one run on three hits, walked three, and fanned six.
In the top of the fifth for Western, Brendan Taberski singled, stole second, and advanced on Seth Freed’s single. He stole home for a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Carson Eby was hit by a pitch and took second on a wild pitch. He scored on Bridgewater’s RBI single.
Adcock was ready to come into the title game in relief, but Foley did the job.
“Brett told me he could give me a couple of innings,” McDonald said. “I had him loose, just in case. Connor Foley has been equal to the task. He’s a great complement to Brett. He’s confident. He wants the ball, and he wants the big game. You couldn’t ask for a better game in a bigger game.”