American Legion Post 377 19U baseball team has returned even stronger than last year, when they finished fourth in the state tournament.
Chief Pontiac’s Clarkston and Waterford area players have dominated their opponent since the beginning of the season.
They faced Farmington in the first double header of the season and beat them, 10-0 and 9-1.
Joel Lange pitched the opening shut-out posting six strikeouts in the 5-inning event.
Joey Preston went two for two, scored once, driving in a run as well. Steven Bazner and Richie Woods both produced two RBIs. Chris Mocerino and Drew Howard both scored twice in two plate appearances and Jake Smith produced an RBI on a sacrifice fly.
Chief Pontiac continued their dominating posture in the second game June 8.
Erik Phillips was the winning pitcher and struck out five. Bazner scored three runs in four plate appearances. Mocerino scored twice, while Eric Checkley, Nick Shamoun and Eric Leichtnam each scored a run, capitalizing on several errors.
They beat the Clarkston Post in their fourth game, 7-3.
Lange racked up eight strikeouts as the winning pitcher.
CP took an early lead when Drew Howard drove in Checkley and Bazner in the first inning. By the sixth inning Clarkston threatened CP scoring three runs. CP’s offense finished strong in the top of the seventh pushing the score to 7-3 while the defense put out the final three batters.
Bazner scored three runs, Checkley score twice, while Luke Prudhomme, Howard and Lange each scored once.
CP triumphed over Berkley on June 15, 8-2.
Pitcher, Erik Phillips, claimed the win. Preston and Bazner lead the offensive charge, each hitting 2-for-3 driving in three runs. Lange and Howard both scored and produced an RBI.
Three days later, CP posted another win, this time over Auburn Hills at Avondale High School, 5-2. Checkley led the offense hitting 2-for-3, posting pairs of runs and RBI. Lange, the winning pitcher racked up six strikeouts.
CP kept the momentum and beat Milford, 13-1, on June 20.
Pitcher Zak Kotz struck out seven during the five-inning game. Lange and Preston each scored three runs. Howard and Shamoun each produced three RBIs, Prudhomme 2-for-4, driving in a pair of runs, and Jake Smith hit an RBI single.
Chief Pontiac beat Clawson Post 167 both games in a double header at CP’s field Sunday, June 22, 4-2 and 12-9. Phillips struck out six in the first game. Lange hit 2-for-3 and drove in a run. Checkley scored twice and Preston also scored.
Lange pitched the second game against Clawson, putting nine Ks in the scorebook.
Preston lead the offensive charge posting four runs in four plate appearances. Bazner hit 2-for-5, scored once and drove in two runs. Mocerino scored three times on two hits.
Due to Chief Pontiac fielding errors in the fifth and seventh innings, Milford tied the game 8-8 in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The CP offense came on strong in the top of the 8th inning running the score up to 12-8. Ryan O’Halloran pitched the final two-thirds innings and with the Chief Pontiac defense behind him, thwarted Milford’s comeback attempt. Chief Pontiac finished on top, 12-9.