Anchor Bay’s Higgins fans 11 in win over Crusaders
Anchor Bay’s Higgins strikes out 11 in MAC White baseball victory over LCN
Jason Higgins was in his element despite the elements.
The senior righthander struck out 11 and pitched a complete game through sprinkles to lead Anchor Bay to a 4-1 MAC White baseball victory over visiting L’Anse Creuse North on a cold and blustery Monday.
Higgins faced the minimum number of batters in the third through seventh innings of both teams’ division opener.
Only one hitter reached base in that time, on an infield error, but Higgins picked him off at first on a day when a strong wind blew from the right-field corner.
“I like the cloudy days and the wind and stuff, because the hitters really can’t hit it that far,” Higgins said after his second start of the season.
Higgins features a four-seam fastball, curveball, slider and changeup.
“Honestly, all my pitches worked well today,” he said. “I could locate my changeup and my curve was working pretty well.”
L’Anse Creuse North scored its run in the top of the second.
“Jason Higgins was a bulldog on the mound,” Anchor Bay coach Jared Biesbrouck said. “He got ahead of several batters and got that curveball over for strikes. He did a great job.”
Higgins said he had a complete game in mind from the first inning on.
“I was just trying to find my groove, and once I did, I knew I
was going to finish it off,” he said.
Anchor Bay scored two runs in the first and two in the second, but sophomore righthander Josh Midbo blanked the Tars the rest of the game.
“I’ve got to tip my hat to both pitchers,” Biesbrouck said. “(Midbo) did a great job battling. The game could have gotten away from him, but he battled.”
Anchor Bay got a runner to second base with two outs in the third, but Midbo worked out of that mild threat and then retired the side in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth in his varsity debut.
“He didn’t give up too many hits and he pounded the strike zone — something we’ve asked for from our pitchers,” Crusaders coach Dale Campbell said.
Logan Rybarczyk was safe on an infield error leading off the first. Ty Schornak followed with a walk, and both eventually scored.
Higgins and Miller reached base on errors in the second and both scored, Higgins on a sacrifice fly by Elijah Dealca.
“It’s important to get off to a good start, but we know every day is going to be a battle,” Biesbrouck said.
L’Anse Creuse North is 2-2 overall.
There’s a lot of stuff offensively we can improve on,” Campbell said. “I’d like to see a little better pre-pitch approach, having more of an idea of what we’re doing up there. We’re striking out too much.”
The teams play at L’Anse Creuse North on Wednesday.
FORD 11, L’ANSE CREUSE 0
Joe Dickinson had three hits and Brendan Seman struck out six to lead Ford in the five-inning MAC White opener for both teams.
ST. CLAIR 3, GROSSE POINTE NORTH 2
Luke Merkau struck out 13 and Eli Lohr had the winning hit in the bottom of the seventh as St. Clair won the MAC White opener.
DAKOTA 13, ROMEO 2
Will DeMasse drove in three runs to spark Dakota in both teams’ MAC Red opener. Kevin Moore walked three times.
UTICA 1, MARYSVILLE 0
Alex Kindle scored from third base on Dylan Lelito’s infield single in the fifth
and Darren Welch pitched a three-hitter with eight strikeouts to lead Utica in both teams’ MAC Blue opener. Utica is 5-4 overall.
PORT HURON 8, COUSINO 3
Caleb Champlin had two hits for Cousino in the MAC Blue game.
EISENHOWER 5, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 4
Eisenhower scored five runs in the sixth inning to erase a 3-0 deficit on the way to the victory in both teams’ MAC Red opener.
LUTHERAN NORTH 6-8, BISHOP FOLEY 1-2
Connor Comiskey struck out 13 in the first game and Caleb Allport struck out 14 in the second as Lutheran North swept the doubleheader. Gavin Kraatz and Kyle Pretzer had two hits and an RBI in the first game. Ben Narr also drove in a run. Adam Peters drove in two runs and Zack Selewski and Pretzer had one RBI apiece in the second game.
LAKEVIEW 7-10, PLYMOUTH 6-9
Evan Kuhle led off the game with a home run and Brendan Guciardo had a home run among his two hits for Lakeview in the first game. Winning pitcher Michael Kelley struck out six. Noah Fakhoury’s single in the seventh capped a fourrun seventh that lifted the Huskies in the second game. Kelley had two hits and three RBI. Reliever
Ethan Ortwein went three innings and got the victory.
UTICA 14-12, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 8-3
Gavin Zbytowski hit a grand slam and have five RBI and Dylan Pawenski hit a two-run homer to spark Utica in the first game. Nick Backus and Dylan Lelito had two hits and scored two runs apiece. Alex Kindle drove in three runs and Austin Lemeris two in the second game. Reliever Dane Cargill struck out six.
OXFORD 10, EISENHOWER 1
Eisenhower’s Josh Bussineau allowed three earned runs in six innings. Brandon Rice had a run-scoring single.
CROSWELLLEXINGTON 10, ALGONAC 0
Cros-Lex scored three runs in the first inning on the way to the BWAC victory.
SOFTBALL STEVENSON 10, GROSSE POINTE SOUTH 0
Brooke Kalleberg struck out 12 in the five-inning game and Lindsey McGann and Abby Jenkins drove in three runs apiece to spark Stevenson in the MAC crossover game. Sam Lyle, Riley McLaughlin, Maggie Turner and Ella Rusher had two hits apiece.
LAKE SHORE 10, FRASER 7
VanDerHaegen drove in four runs and Harbon had five hits for Lake Shore, which rallied from deficits of 4-0 and 6-3.
CENTER LINE 15, ROYAL OAK 0
Winning pitcher Emma Lautenbach struck out seven and scored three runs and Allison Zielinski drove in three runs to lead Center Line in the three-inning game. Harley Limburger and Hailey Bernardi drove in two runs apiece. Center Line is 5-0.
ARMADA 3-0, ANCHOR BAY 2-15
Sydney Elliott had three hits to lead Armada in the first game. Anchor Bay’s Allison Vogt struck out 14. In the second game, Genevieve Decker had four hits to lead the Anchor Bay offense.
MARYSVILLE 12, CHIPPEWA VALLEY 9
Calle Perrin hit a grand slam and drove in five runs and Meghan Winston hit a home run to lead Marysville. Brandi Bassett had two doubles among her three hits. Marysville is 6-0.
MARYSVILLE 5, MARINE CITY 1
Kirsten Smith had an RBI double and Brandi Bassett struck out three to lead Marysville. The Vikings also defeated Clarkston 14-1 and Imlay City 16-4. Smith drove in four runs and Kate Westmiller had four hits against Clarkston. Avery Wolters drove in five runs and Calle Perrin four against Imlay City.
BOYS LACROSSE L’ANSE CREUSE 10, DETROIT CASS TECH 5
Michael Shea scored five goals and Michael Kurtz had two goals and two assists to lead L’Anse Creuse. Nathan Marah, Devin Hart and James Wilerhausen scored a goal apiece and goalie Jackson Saleh made 18 saves. L’Anse Creuse plays at L’Anse Creuse North at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
SOCCER
WARREN WOODSTOWER 2, ROSEVILLE 0
Anna Hubbard and Jillian Kaferle scored a goal apiece for Warren WoodsTower. Audrey Boudro assisted on both goals and Corissa McCain posted her first shutout of the season.
AUSTIN CATHOLIC 4, RIVERVIEW RICHARD 4
Victoria Dawidowicz scored three goals and Mackenzie Gumbolt had one for Austin. Dawidowicz and Carmela Shorkey had one assist apiece. Coach Steve Motter’s Crusaders play Cardinal Mooney on Tuesday.
EISENHOWER 2, DAVISON 0
Lexi Morrison and Ava Dukaj scored a goal apiece for Eisenhower. Alicia Horecki and Amy Sideaway combined for the shutout. Earlier, the Eagles tied Royal Oak 0-0 and lost to Stoney Creek 1-0. Eisenhower plays at Grosse Pointe South at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.