Despite their youth, the Goodrich varsity baseball team is serving notice that they expect to once again contend for the league title.
The Martians broke out the heavy lumber as they swept an April 10 doubleheader against Atherton, winning the opener 12-1 and the nightcap 16-1. Goodrich improved to 3-1 overall and 3-0 in the Genesee Area Conference Red Division.
Goodrich’s big inning in the first game came in the second inning with the Martians already leading 3-1. Freshman Caleb Jones led off the inning by reaching base on an error, then junior Josh Johns was hit by a pitch. Freshman Steve Hughes then singled to load the bases.
Junior Bennett Gillam then drove home Jones and Johns with a double, then senior Wes Coleman drove in Hughes with a sacrifice fly. Gillam stole a base and scored on an Atherton error, then senior Dom Rivera reached base on a walk.
Sophomore Dusty Bourassa then hit the big blow of the inning with a two-run homer, putting the Martians up 9-1.
Freshman Jake Bourassa pitched the first two innings of the game for Goodrich, allowing one run and one hit while striking out four. Gillam then closed out the game by pitching the final three innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.
In the second game, Atherton retired the Martians in order in the bottom of the first inning. However, that would be the only inning in which the Martians would not score a run.
Goodrich had two big innings, scoring eight runs in the third inning and seven more runs in the fourth inning. Atherton did not help their own cause, committing several errors, throwing several wild pitches, and hitting several Goodrich batters.
However, Gillam provided a highlight for the Martians in the third with an RBI triple. Jake Bourassa then followed up in the fourth inning with a grand slam home run to key the Martians? seven-run inning.
Junior Tom Holton took care of his end of things on the pitcher’s mound for the Martians, allowing two hits and one run in four innings of work, walking out three and striking out six.
In an April 6 game, the Martians lost their first game of the season, dropping an 8-6 contest to Lapeer East. Rivera had two hits and two RBI in a losing cause for the Martians, while Ty Purdy hit a two-run homer.
The second game of the scheduled doubleheader against the Panthers was called due to darkness with the Martians up 8-6 in the third inning.