Monday’s preps: West Bloomfield sweeps Seaholm
It was a tale of two games for West Bloomfield baseball on Monday evening, but the result remained the same. It took down visiting Birmingham Seaholm 11-1 in a five-inning mercy in the first game of a doubleheader, then won 5-3 in the second contest.
Everything was clicking for West Bloomfield in the first game and first-year head coach Jerry Brown credited that to ace Trenton Newby and a quick start on offense.
Newby went the distance to earn the win, allowing two hits and zero earned runs for West Bloomfield (10-5, 4-1 Oakland Activities Association White).
“It’s the norm for him,” Brown said of Newby’s gem. “He was having a great day. He was in control from beginning to end. We’re just waiting on the bad game (from him).”
West Bloomfield benefitted from its ace’s dominating performance as well as a six-run second inning, which was all it needed.
The second game was a different story.
Game 2 starter Andrew Weiss had an unacharacteristic performance, allowing three runs in the first inning and totaling nearly 50 pitches. Brown called it his worst start of the year although he did rebound to finish strong with six innings pitched. Hilton Yopp recorded the save.
Seaholm (6-7, 3-3) was able to keep West Bloomfield’s hitters off-balance more in the second game as it struggled with off-speed pitches, something Brown has been working to fix in his first season.
“We work a lot on seeing pitches and two-strike approaches,” Brown said. “It’s not something that’s happened overnight.”
West Bloomfield got revenge for a three-game sweep by Seaholm last year and will get a chance to return the favor on Wednesday night. It will face Seaholm in the final game of the weekly series.
“I’d like to see (my team) not let down,” Brown said of Wednesday’s matchup. “I’d like to see them come with energy.”
More baseball
Birmingham Groves 8, Auburn Hills Avondale 1: Ryan Laub started and pitched three shutout innings, striking out three, and Keith Schmidt got the save with four innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out six. George Cutler had two doubles and two RBIs and Nick Ringler had two hits and two RBIs for Groves (10-5).
Grosse Pointe South 8, Utica Eisenhower 7: Davis Graham had two doubles and three RBIs, Steve Cavera was 2-for-3 with one RBI, John Lynch went 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts to record the win and Joe Ambrozy earned the save in 1 2/3 innings with four strikeouts for South (11-5, 3-4 MAC Red). Eisenhower is 8-6, 3-4.
Taylor Trillium 8-10, Hamtramck 7-6: Holden Wilde had three hits and two RBIs, and Ben Wilde had a walk-off two-run double in the first game for Trillium (10-1). Hamtramck is 3-6.
Soccer
New Baltimore Anchor Bay 3, Sterling Heights Stevenson 0: Jessica Schneider scored two goals, Kassidy Miller one and Ally Gaunt recorded her ninth shutout for Anchor Bay (11-0). Stevenson is 0-7-1.
Softball
Harper Woods 19, Detroit Community 4 (5 inn.): Shanya Young hit a single with an RBI and Kaylah Garfield notched a single for Harper Woods (8-4).
Connor Muldowney is a freelance writer. Detroit News staff contributed.