The Leprechaun pitching staff turned in its best performance of the season so far on Friday night in a 3-1 win, as Royal Oak completed a two-game sweep of the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.
Starting pitching has been a relative strength of the team’s recently, and this game was no different. Second-year Leprechaun Gabe Jones got the ball to start the contest and in what was a bounce-back opportunity for him. The Ball State product had allowed two runs in two innings of work during his season debut against the Kenosha Kingfish on May 31. Jones walked four batters to just one strikeout and surrendered three hits in that appearance.
This time, Jones was much more successful. He worked four scoreless innings of work and allowed just two hits along with three punchouts to just one base on balls. The final batter of his outing was particularly eventful, as Jack Boike (Adrian) made a sliding catch in foul territory in right field to end a 14-pitch battle that also featured a runner on second base.
Jones’ great outing was particularly needed, as it took a while for Royal Oak’s bats to wake up. Rafters starting pitcher Kenny Schultz recorded 12 straight outs to begin his outing. Chase Van Ameyde (Notre Dame) was the first Leprechaun to reach base when he led the fifth inning off with a single. After making his way to third via a wild pitch and a deep fly out from Devan Zirwas (Eastern Michigan), Aidan Schuck (Oakland) notched an RBI while grounding out.
After Jones, Royal Oak then turned to Eastern Michigan’s Ethan LaPointe. He allowed the game to get tied right back up at one during the bottom of the fifth, but came up huge by finishing off the inning while the bases were loaded. He then worked a much more harmless sixth inning and was credited with the win in the box score.
Royal Oak’s other two runs came one apiece during the sixth and eighth innings. Dylan Larkins (Georgetown) came around to score after walking and then advancing three separate times on wild pitches. The Leprechauns’ insurance run came around after a double from Ryan Tyranski (Cincinnati) and a Boike RBI single.
Another part of what was the difference in the game is what each team did with the runners that were able to reach base. Wisconsin Rapids ended up stranding 10 people on the basepaths. Royal Oak only had four.
The final three innings went to Tristan Crane. Just one day after he announced that he was entering the transfer portal after spending his freshman year at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, he worked three scoreless innings and received his first save of the summer. Crane only allowed two hits and never had to pitch with somebody in scoring position.
This win means Royal Oak was able to achieve a 3-2 record during the team’s first road trip of the season. The Leprechauns are now 7-4 overall on the season and now hold a 0.5-game lead in the Great Lakes East over the 7-5 Battle Creek Battle Jacks.
Now, Royal Oak will return home to face the 6-5 Rockford Rivets for another two-game series. Rockford also won the Great Lakes East overall regular season title last year with a 47-25 record.
The first game of the series on Saturday, June 7 is set for 6:35 p.m. Sunday’s contest will start at 4:05 p.m. Both games can be viewed for free on NWL+.
Single game tickets to any Royal Oak home game this season can be purchased HERE.
