Marquette Senior High School baseball team off to fast 4-0 start
MARQUETTE — The Marquette Senior High School baseball team has gotten off to a fast 4-0 start to the season with a pair of doubleheader sweeps last week.
The Sentinels took out Westwood 5-2 and 4-0 at home on Wednesday, then traveled to Menominee and put on their hitting shoes, winning a pair of football-sounding 14-0 and 14-7 victories against the Maroons.
This week, Marquette has a pair of doubleheaders before heading downstate for a tournament this weekend. The Sentinels hosts Gwinn at 4 p.m. Thursday and travel to play at Sault Ste. Marie at 4 p.m. Friday, then continue south to the Boyne Invite near Boyne City on Saturday morning.
Here is a rundown on last week’s games:
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Marquette 5-4, Westwood 2-0
At Haley Memorial Field on Wednesday in the opening 5-2 win, Sentinels pitcher Gib Jezewski struck out 12 and allowed four hits, a walk and two runs over 4 1/3 innings. Jake Toyras came on after that to earn the save.
An error and Nick Pantti RBI single each brought in a run in the bottom of the first inning, while Westwood managed to tie it 2-2 in the fourth that included a steal of home.
But the hosts put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the fourth thanks to singles by Pantti, AJ Scappaticci and Chase Niemi.
Pantti finished 2 of 3 with two RBIs, while teammate Brody Caster also had two hits and Scappaticci and Caster each had multiple steals among the team’s total of six stolen bases.
Tristan Miller led Patriots’ hitters, going 2 for 3.
In Marquette’s 4-0 victory in the nightcap, Sentinels starter Isaac Sarles struck out 11, allowing just one hit and no walks without giving up a run over 5 2/3 innings. Ian Sheltrow finished it out for MSHS on the mound.
Sheltrow scored on a tag-up for Marquette in the first, finishing 2 of 3 at the plate, while teammate Nash Riipi stole two bases.
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Marquette 14-14, Menominee 7-0
In Menominee on Saturday, Jezewski, Niemi and teammate Cooper Keough each hit run-scoring singles in the first inning of Marquette’s opening 14-7 win, Jezewski actually knocking in three runs, while a dropped third strike brought in another.
The Sentinels’ Jake Toyras clubbed an RBI double in the second while an error brought in another run. Caster and Jezewski also got RBIs in the third.
Keough started for MSHS and gave up three runs on just one hit over two innings as he walked four. Niemi went another 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief without allowing a hit nor walk as he struck out three.
Marquette’s 14-hit attack was led by Keough with four hits, while Niemi had three RBIs, going 2 for 3.
In the 14-0 victory in the nightcap, the Sentinels jumped out early, scoring twice in the first on a Sarles double and Jezewski sacrifice fly. In the second, MSHS’ Aiden McCollum walked and Jezewski was hit by a pitch before both scored.
And in the third, Sheltrow walked and McCollum had a sacrifice bunt but reached, both also later scoring.
But the fourth was their big inning with seven runs as Niemi hit an RBI single and Jan van den Ende a two-run single. Then Caster drew a bases-loaded walk, Sarles cracked a two-run double and Toyras also drew a bases-loaded walk.
Sarles got the pitching victory, allowing no runs on one hit over four innings as he walked one and fanned eight.
Sarles also went 2 for 4 with three RBIs, while Sheltrow drew three walks among the team’s total of 11.
Riipi had two steals among the Sentinels’ five as its defense also turned a double play and didn’t commit an error.
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.