Junior pitcher Ty Rollin tried everything he possibly could have to get another state baseball championship to Beal City, but the Aggies fell 3-2 to University Liggett School in the title game.
Rollin had a hit and a walk in the title game. In the semifinal, a 5-0 win over Glen Lake, he had two walks and scored two runs.
Rollin pitched a no-hitter through five innings of the title game before Liggett was able to get two hits in the sixth and tie the game.
“I felt good. I felt like I was hitting the spots,” Rollin said. “The last few innings, they got some infield hits. That’s baseball.”
Rollin went all eight innings and faced 27 batters. He allowed three runs, one of them earned, six hits, and two walks, while fanning five.
“I give it to my guys. They fight, scratch, and claw,” said Liggett coach Dan Cimini. “They did not give up. That’s why they won.”
It wouldn’t surprise many to see Antcliff coaching another successful team next season. The fact that only four seniors graduate, and the fact that the Aggies will be coming back from a 35-3 state runner-up year, has Rollin excited. He will be among the returnees. “We have a lot of returners,” said Rollin. “We should have as good of a team next year. It’s our goal every year to be competing for a state championship. We were within a run.”
Antcliff praised Rollin. “Their first hit was an infield single,” Antcliff said. “Ty pitched an awesome game. He pitched well and hit his spots well. We needed to get a key hit somewhere, and we couldn’t get the key hit. If we come out the first two innings and get a key hit, we’re up four or five runs. But give them credit; they got out of the inning, and they’re state champions because of it.”