BACK-TO-BACK! Hawkeyes take OK-Green crown with split over Chix
HAMILTON, Mich. – Hamilton (22-14, 12-1) won their first back-to-back league championships in 25 years as they rallied from a 5-0 deficit against East ace Michael Meade to take a 10-5 win. Hamilton took game one with a decisive sixth inning that saw seven Hawkeyes cross home plate. Steve Durham, Jason Henrickson and Andrew DeGood all had 2 RBI hits in the sixth inning.
“I’m very proud of our team,” Hawkeye skipper Ken DeGood noted. “To win the league outright for two years in a row-that’s an accomplishment they will carry with the the rest of their lives. Our league is really good and deep.”
GAME ONE
Hamilton 10, Zeeland East 5
In a continuation of Friday’s top of the first suspended game, the Chix added two more runs as the took a 5-0 lead before the Hawkeyes could even bat. Hamilton showed a lot of patience as they had to battle back against Michael Meade. Hamilton plated two runs in the second and one in the fifth to enter the sixth inning trailing 5-3. The sixth saw the Hawkeye bats explode as Hamilton did what they had to do to win the league outright.
Carter Deboe (7-1) battled to earn the complete game victory. He gave up 10 hits, 2 earned runs while striking out 11 East batters.
“I thought that was as gutsy of a performance from Carter as we’ve seen in his three years on the varsity,” DeGood added. “He certainly gave us a chance and against a talented team like East, that’s all we could have asked for.”
Offensively, Durham led the way with a 3 for 3 performance, which included a 2 RBI single to tie it in the sixth. Andrew DeGood and Todd Scholten each collected two hits and 2 RBI. Henrickson, DeBoe, R.J. Flowers and Luke Stafford each added a hit. Henrickson and DeBoe drove in runs (Henrickson 2, DeBoe 1) wile FLowers added a double and 2 runs.
“To win the league against a young arm like Meade, that’s impressive. We battled and made contact. That’s all we could ask for,” DeGood noted.
GAME TWO
Zeeland East 5, Hamilton 4 (8 Innings)
East’s Cody Bloemendaal and Evan Mudd staged a pitcher’s duel in game two. Hamilton took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh and couldn’t hold it as a courageous Chix squad plated three runs to tie it and would add the game winner on T.J. South’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.
Mudd worked 6 and 2/3 innings, allowing four hits while striking out five and walking six. DeBoe worked 1/3 of an inning in relief. Junior Nathaniel White (4-1) took the loss as he worked 2/3 of an inning giving up one run on one hit. He did hit a batter.
Offensively, Hamilton could only muster 6 hits. Adam Koning, DeBoe, DeGood, Scholten and Henrickson each had a single. Connor Hagen and Flowers scored runs.
Hamilton concludes OK-Green play with a record of 12-1. The Hawkeyes are off until Saturday when they host Calvin Christian, currently ranked fifth in Division 3, in a doubleheader at Hawkeye Field. Saturday also marks “Senior Day,” with first-pitch festivities beginning at 9:50 a.m.
Check back Saturday night for a recap of the Senior Day doubleheader vs. Calvin.
