Rudyard Captures Baseball Invitational With 11-8 Win Over Newberry
By David Latva

Josh LaCoursiere, the winning pitcher for Rudyard during the championship win over Newberry.

The Rudyard Bulldogs boys baseball team posted a come-frombehind 8-7 win over the Black Sox of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in the semifinals, and defeated the Newberry Indians 11-8 in the title game to capture the title in the Rudyard Baseball Invitational Saturday, May 10.

In the seminfinals, the Black Sox led 4-0 after the first inning and 7-2 following the top of the third inning before the Bulldogs scored three runs in the third and three in the fifth, that included a Ben Harter gamewinning two-run home run.

Josh LaCoursiere earned the win for Rudyard on the mound.

In the championship game against Newberry, Rudyard scored five runs in the second, three in the fifth, and three in the sixth, and Newberry scored four runs in the second, one in the fifth, and three in the sixth.

Pitcher Josh McCollum picked up the win and Paul DeWesse earned the save in the championship game.

Bulldogs statistics (semifinals): Ben Harter and Josh McCollum, two hits, one run; Pete Lawlor, two runs; Tom Hendrickson, Craig Wallis, Paul DeWeese, Keifer McCollum, one run.

Craig Wallis slices a hit to right field for a double, the Bulldogs' first hit during the championship game of the Rudyard Baseball Tournament Saturday, May 10.

Bulldogs statistics (finals): Josh McCollum, two hits, two run homerun; three runs; Brett VanSloten, two hits, three runs; Keifer McCollum, Pete Lawlor, George Kinsella, two runs; Ben Harter, Pete Lawlor, two hits.

Statistics for Sault, Ontario, and Newberry were unavailable.

Bulldogs Sweep Saints

in SAC Baseball

The Rudyard Bulldogs swept the St. Ignace Saints 14-6 and 14-3 during Straits Area Conference (SAC) baseball doubleheader at Kiwanis Sports Complex Thursday, May 8.

The Saints led 6-4 after the fourth inning before the Bulldogs exploded for 10 runs in the fifth stanza to post the win.

Bulldogs statistics (game one): Pete Lawlor, two hits, three runs; Tom Hendrickson, two hits, two runs; Keifer McCollum, two hits, one run; Paul DeWeese, one hit, one run; James Perry, Craig Wallis, Josh McCollum two runs; Ben Harter, one run.

Leah Wallis slides into home plate for the Bulldogs' first run against St. Ignace Thursday, May 8.

Saints statistics (game one): Gerrit Mortensen, two hits, one run; James Peterson, Ronnie France, one hit, one run; Andy Tamlyn, Rob Robinson, Cody Sturm, one run.

Bulldogs statistics (game two): Tom Hendrickson, Josh McCollum, two hits, two runs; Craig Wallis, Pete Lawlor, one hit, two runs; James Perry, Ben Harter, Josh LaCoursiere, Scott Coffey, George Kinsella, one hit, one run; Paul DeWeese, one run.

Saints statistics (game two): Shawn Cowell, Jeff Gamble, one hit, one run; Austin St. Louis, Tyler Oja, one hit.

Saints Fall to Chiefs Twice

St. Ignace dropped a twin bill to Cheboygan, 7-3 and 8-0, Tuesday, May 6.

Saints statistics (game one): Brendon Steiner, James Peterson, Rob Robinson, one hit, one run; Andy Tamlyn, Tyler Oja, one hit.

The Saints' Rob Robinson slides safely back into first base, beating Paul DeWeese's tag.

Saints statistics (game two): Andy Tamlyn, three hits; Jeff Gamble, Austin St. Louis, one hit.

Statistics for Cheboygan were unavailable.

Rudyard Down Alanson

in Doubleheader

Rudyard defeated Alanson 10-1 and 3-1 during a baseball doubleheader Friday, May 9.

Craig Wallis won both games, striking out 22 Vikings in the combined two games.

The Bulldogs were led offensively by Paul DeWeese with three RBIs, Keifer McCollum, two RBIs, and Tom Hendrickson, two hits in the opener, and Keifer McCollum two RBIs, and Tom Hendrickson with one RBI in the nightcap.

Rudyard Sweeps Newberry

in Softball

The Rudyard Bulldogs softball team swept Newberry 2-0 and 3-2 during a doubleheader Tuesday, May 6.

Chelsea Mesnard pitched a nohitter and struck out 10 batters in game one, and added and one-hitter in the nightcap against the Indians.

Saints shortstop Alyssa Pechta tags out an unidentified Rudyard runner as second baseman Emily Sposito and umpire Doug Ingalls look on.

Emily Jeffreys and Cheslea Mesnard each earned one hit and one RBI in game one. In the second game, Brittany Gibson had one hit, which scored the game-winning RBI.

Crystal Brownlee, Destiny Chontos, Leah Wallis, and Cheslea Mesnard each had one hit.

Rudyard Sweeps St. Ignace

Rudyard swept St. Ignace in softball Thursday, May 8. No statistics were available.

Senior Chelsea Mesnard pitched the Bulldogs to wins over St. Ignace, and Emily Jeffreys is the Rudyard first baseman.