04-19-2018 Tri-City Area Sports

Coloma boys’ and girls’ speed and strength secure victory over Fennville

Both the boys’ and girls’ track and field squads of Coloma won their home meet against Fennville Wednesday, April 11.

The Lady Comets defeated Fennville by a score of 85-23. Divine Parker won the long jump with a 13’9” leap; she also finished first in the 100 meters with a time of 14.0 seconds. Emilea Winans doubled up on first place finishes taking the top spot in the discus (64’3”) and shot put (21’4.5”).

Emily Greenman won the pole vault after soaring 6’6”.  Samantha Scott took first in the high jump after clearing 4’10”. Scott scored a second first place finish with a 1:13.54 time in the 400 meters.

BUCKING BUCHANAN… Coloma’s Hannah Mathis stretches for the ball and secures the out at first base dur-ing the April 10 home game against Buchanan. The Lady Comets won both cards of the doubleheader, 10-4 and 8-7. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Gabby Ezell took first in the 800 meters with a time of 5:16.88, while Marissa Sherburn cruised to a first place finish in the 200 meters (31.6 seconds).

Coloma also won the 400, 800, and 1600-meter relays.

The young men of Coloma flogged Fennville 92-27. Jonah Jones took first in the shot put (43’5.25”) and discus (130’9”).  Adam Hearn jumped into first place after clearing 6’0” in the high jump; he also finished first in the 300-meter hurdles (54.3 seconds).

Mark Newton flew over the bar 7’6” in the pole vault for first place. Derek Plitt took first in the 100 meters (11.1 seconds) and 200 meters (23.48 seconds).

Aarol Puma earned first place in the 800 meters with a winning time of 2:26.91. Ariel Granados took first in the 3200 run with a time of 12:12.4.

The 400-meter relay team of Michael Dancer, Levi Wilkens, Caleb Ellis, and Jamane Smith blazed to a first place finish (51.72 seconds).

The 800-meter relay team of Ellis, Josh Young, Plitt, and Sincere Taylor rounded the track in 1:40.

Young, Ellis, Taylor, and Plitt took first in the 1600-meter relay with a time of 4:21.1. Coloma also took first in the 3200-meter relay and 110 high hurdles.

Coloma softball smothers Gobles, scores two shutouts

SINGLE SCORE… With Elijah Ro-darte waiting on third, Hartford’s Jared Henslee strokes a single to score the run in game one action against River Valley. The Indians took two games on Thursday, April 12 from River Valley; 3-2 in both contests. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Coloma softball continued to shine Thursday, April 12 in doubleheader action on the road. The Comets took on Gobles and scored two decisive victories.

In the first contest, Coloma scored in four of the five innings played and held Gobles at bay to win 15-0. The Comets opened the game with a three-run first inning.

Megan Neubecker led the Comets with two singles; she scored three runs.  Skylar Crisenbery, who tossed the one-hit game, also scored three runs; she hit a single and double.  Kayla Yore sliced three singles.  Megan Koenigshof scored two runs and hit two singles. Morgan Wagner hit a double and picked up two RBIs.  Mya Potter hit a single and double with two runs batted in.

Col   3 2 4 | 0 6          15  17  0

Gob  0 0 0 | 0 0           0    1   3

In the second game, the outcome was eerily similar. Coloma recorded the 15-0 shutout over Gobles. This time, Jaidyn Hutsell took the mound for Coloma.  She allowed three hits.

Wagner’s bat was smoking as she belted three doubles and a single to score five runs. Yore hit a single and double for two RBIs.

Crisenbery’s single and double led to three runs being scored.  Neubecker and Sam Stewart both hit a single and double.

Coloma is currently 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Col   2 3 5 | 5             15  18  0

Gob  0 0 0 | 0              0    3   0

Indian soccer surges back for 2-2 tie against South Haven

Hartford’s varsity soccer team spent much of the first half of their home game against South Haven Thursday, April 12 on defense. The squad was unable to make much of their limited time on offense and struggled to move the ball into Ram territory when they had the opportunity.

South Haven used an aggressive passing game to take a 2-0 lead in the first half.

After some adjustments, the Indians roared back into the game in the second 40-minute period.  Abigail Lopez scored two goals for Hartford to tie South Haven.  Neither squad was able to convert a final goal and the game ended in a 2-2 tie. It was the second 2-2 tie for Hartford in the week.

Mary Pultz, in as keeper for Hartford, recorded 20 saves.  Olivia Ziemer was credited with an assist.

Watervliet’s powerful pitchers shutout Martin – twice

Watervliet welcomed Martin to the softball field for the Panthers softball home opener Thursday, April 12. The Panther pitching during both games of the doubleheader was pretty precise.

In the first game, Watervliet held Martin scoreless. Kara Liles took to the mound for Watervliet. She allowed just three hits sprinkled across five innings of play in her first win of the season. Liles struck out three batters and walked two.

LILES ON FIRE… Watervliet’s Kara Liles pitched the Lady Panthers to a 12-0 shutout of Martin Thursday, April 12. Liles allowed just three hits in the contest to get her first win of the season. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

At the plate, Mikalah Clay tattooed a double and triple to lead Watervliet.  Ariana Rowe hit a triple and single.  Celina Klimkiewicz stroked a double.

All told, Watervliet had 11 runs.

Mar   0 0 0 | 0 0             0    0   0

Wat   0 4 7 | 1 x           12   11  0

In the second game, Ariana Rowe led from the rubber, as she threw the 10-0 shutout.  Rowe allowed two hits. Her ‘K’ game was strong as she struck out 12 batters.

The Lady Panthers’ bats were on fire as they tallied 12 hits. Top Watervliet hitters included Sabrina Klimkiewicz who hit two singles and a double and scored two runs.

Taylor Shafer stroked a single and triple.  Rowe’s triple scored two runs.  Liles scored one run and hit a single. Clay scored two runs for the Panthers after she hit two singles and a double.

Watervliet is 2-0 overall and in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Wat   7 0 2 | 1 0             10    12   0

Mar   0 0 0 | 0 0              0      2    0

Comet soccer beats Bangor 3-2

Coloma’s girls’ varsity soccer squad scored a 3-2 victory over visiting Bangor Wednesday, April 11 in a non-conference matchup.

Coloma improved to 2-0 on the season. The Lady Comets had 11 shots on goal in the contest.

Scoring for Coloma was Katelyn Johnson with an assist credited to Mackenzie Ecker.

FOCUSED FOOTWORK… Water-vliet’s Emma Armstrong keeps her eye on the ball following her kick. The Lady Panthers fell to visiting Cassopolis 4-1 Tuesday, April 10. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Ecker found the net as she scored one goal with an assist from Emma Vandermolen.

Grace Gagliardo kicked the winning goal with an assist by Emily Bolis.

Emma Watson was in goal for the Comets; she had four saves on five shots.

Smith strong in Watervliet track meet against Martin

Lamarrius Smith showcased his strong athletic abilities Wednesday, April 11 as he helped the Panthers top Martin 71-65 in a SAC meet.

Smith notched a first place finish in the high jump, long jump, 200 meters, and as part of the 4×400 relay team.

In the high jump, Smith leapt 6’0.  He also jumped 21’ for first in the long jump.  Smith won the 200 meters with a time of 23.6 seconds.

Joining Don Smith, Ezra Troyer, and Austin Roberts in the 4×400 relay, Smith tallied his fourth first place finish of the night. The foursome ran the relay with a time of 3:52.5.

Klayton Marshall vaulted into first place after a 10’ finish in the pole vault.  Derrick Burkhardt finished third in the shot put with a toss of 31’4”.

Burkhardt took second place in the discus with a throw of 86’3”, while teammate Trent Boone finished third. His throw went 84’10”.

The 4×800 relay team of Kody Edmonds, Alex Isbrecht, Nick Swanson, and Troyer finished second with a time of 10:00.

Isaac Bultema and Jermaine Granados finished one-two in the hurdles.  Bultema finished in 17.5 seconds, while Granados completed the event with a time of 18.3 seconds.

The 100-meter run was won by Boone (12.4 seconds). In the runner-up spot was Will Ford (26.0 seconds).

Troyer took first in the mile run (5:20) with Edmonds finishing second (5:59).

Smith, Ford, Austin Roberts, and Boone combined for a second-place finish in the 4×100 relay. They set a pace of 49.6 seconds.

Granados hit a high mark in the 300-meter hurdles. He took first place with a time of 45.9 seconds, setting the 19th best time in Watervliet history.

Roberts (24.8 seconds) finished second in the 200 meters, while Edmonds took second in the 3200 meters with a time of 12:04.

Hartford cinches up 2-2 tie with Saugatuck

Hartford held off a strong second-half Saugatuck team to notch a 2-2 tie Tuesday, April 10.

SPEEDING PAST SOUTH HAVEN… Hartford’s Madison Gar-land speeds past her South Haven opponent Thursday, April 12. The squads played to a 2-2 tie. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The Lady Indians traveled to Saugatuck.  Abigail Lopez scored Hartford’s first goal with an assist by Mercedes Requenes.

Requenes tallied a goal of her own in the first half. Saugatuck scored one first-half goal, giving the Indians the 2-1 lead at intermission.

Hartford defense held strong as keeper Mary Pultz saved 12 shots. Saugatuck scored once in the second half to tie the game.

Smith scored Watervliet’s lone goal as the Panthers fell to Cassopolis

It was a tough evening on the soccer field Tuesday, April 10. Watervliet welcomed Cassopolis for varsity soccer action.

Cassopolis took an early 2-1 lead, as Vicki Smith scored the Panthers’ lone goal in the first half.

Cass added another two goals to seal the 4-1 win.

Comet softball on fire against Buchanan

The Coloma varsity softball squad won both cards of Tuesday’s doubleheader action against a visiting Buchanan Bucks team.

In the first contest, Skylar Crisenbery took the mound for Coloma. She allowed four runs on seven hits in the 10-4 Comet victory.

Megan Koenigshof led Coloma at the plate with three singles and three stolen bases.

Kayla Yore belted a home run and picked up three RBIs.

Morgan Wagner stroked two singles and a two-run homer to give the Comets the advantage.

Buc  0 0 3 | 0 0 1 | 0     4  7  3

Col   0 4 1 | 3 1 1 | x   10 13 2

In the nightcap, Jaidyn Hutsell proved to have the right stuff for Coloma as she took the 8-7 win. She allowed seven runs and nine hits. On offense, Hutsell hit a double.

The Lady Comets opened the game with a 1-0 lead after the first inning. Buchanan tied the game at 6-6 in the fourth inning.

Koenigshof hit four singles and stole two bases for Coloma.  Wagner smoked a three-run homer. Crisenbery hit two doubles.  Hannah Mathis singled twice in the contest.

Buc  0 0 3 | 3 0 1 | 0      7  9  2

Col   1 0 3 | 2 2 0 | x      8 12 0

Panther baseball 2-0 after manhandling Martin

NO STEAL HERE… Hartford shortstop Megan Nelson applied the tag last Thursday to a River Valley runner in game two action. Nelson got the out for the Indians, but Hartford lost the contest 10-1. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The Watervliet varsity baseball squad earned its first victory of the season Thursday, April 12 against Martin. Garrett Matthews led the Panther defense in fine fashion. From the mound he tossed a one-hit, 14-0 shutout. Matthews struck out eight batters.

Bolstered by Matthews’ arm, the Panther offense also put forth their ‘A’ game from the plate.  Bryant Kieft led the way with a single and double.  Jakob Aldrich hit two singles.

Mar   0 0 0 | 0 0            0   1   4

Wat   2 4 4 | 4 x           14  7   1

In the nightcap, Aldrich took the mound for Watervliet.  He pitched four strong innings, striking out six batters.  Ryan Chisek pitched the fifth inning and allowed one hit and struck out three.

Watervliet’s 11 runs came off 10 hits. Kieft led the squad with a single and double.  Matthews chipped in two singles.

Watervliet opened their season with a 2-0 record overall and in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Wat   2 3 0 | 2 4           11  10  1

Mar   0 0 1 | 0 0             1    1  0

Hartford doubles up in the win column

Hartford baseball hit the diamond Thursday, April 12 and welcomed River Valley into Indian territory.

In the early game of doubleheader competition, Hartford posted a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Mustangs that took seven innings to accomplish.

Hartford drew first blood in the third inning by scoring one run. River Valley scored a run in the fifth inning to tie the game, but their lead didn’t last long. Hartford reclaimed the lead in the sixth with another run tacked onto the scoreboard.

The seventh inning proved touch-and-go as the Mustangs got another run across the plate, making the score 3-2 in the top of the inning, before their side was retired.

Luke Manning pitched for Hartford and got the win.

RV    0 0 0 | 0 1 0 | 1       2

Har   0 0 1 | 0 1 1 | x       3

Game-shortened game two featured Garrod Johnson and Jared Henslee sharing pitching duties. Hartford matched their performance of the first game and tallied another 3-2 victory over River Valley.

The Mustangs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. Hartford responded by scoring two runs in the second inning to take the lead, one they would not relinquish.

RV   1 0 1 | 0 0             2

Har  0 2 0 | 1 x             3

Comets struggle in two losses to Gull Lake

Coloma varsity baseball was trounced by a tough Gull Lake team Wednesday, April 11. The Comets faced off in doubleheader action on the road.

Tyler Streu took the loss for the Comets. He pitched four innings and allowed eight runs on four hits. He walked six batters and struck out three. Ethan Price pitched two-thirds of an inning and allowed three runs on one hit.  Price struck out one batter and walked one.

Coloma did not have a hit in the contest and committed four errors.

Col   0 0 0 | 1 0         1  0  4

GL   1 3 0 | 4 3        11  5  1

Coloma didn’t fare much better in the second game of the evening, although their output at the plate improved. Coloma had five hits but committed five errors which didn’t help their cause.

Coloma head coach Kevin VanPeteghem threw everything he had at Gull Lake, quite literally. The Comets sent five different pitchers to the mound.

Hunter Crist pitched two-thirds of an inning for Coloma. He allowed two runs on two hits. He struck out one and walked one.  Nick Eastman took a spin on the mound for two-thirds of an inning. He allowed two runs on three hits and walked two batters.

Next up on the rubber was veteran Calvin Starnes.  Starnes pitched one and two-thirds clean innings. He held Gull Lake hitless and he struck out one.

Kenyon Boyd went to work for one inning. He allowed four runs and walked two batters.

Robbie Schroeder pitched two-thirds of an inning. He allowed three runs on three hits.

Crist took the loss for Coloma.

If Starnes was the bright spot defensively for the Comets, Ethan Price led the squad on offense. He blasted three singles.

Gull Lake was masterful at the plate, scoring 11 runs in their 11-1 victory.

Col    1 0 0 | 0 0           1  5  5

GL    2 2 0 | 4 3          11 9  1

Watervliet track finishes seventh at co-ed relays

Watervliet combined their boys’ and girls’ varsity track teams Friday, April 13 and headed to Marcellus for the co-ed relays.

The joint squad took second place in the shuttle hurdle relay, and third place in shot put, pole vault, the 4×400 relay, and boys’ sprint medley.

Coloma baseball takes doubleheader from Gobles

The Coloma boys of summer redeemed themselves following two difficult losses to Gull Lake. On Thursday, April 12, the squad faced off against Gobles on the road.

In the first contest, Coloma’s bats made quite a dent in the Gobles defense.  A strong, five-run third inning gave the Comets a huge lead, one that would outpace Gobles.

On the mound for Coloma was Starnes. He racked up 10 strikeouts and one walk in his five innings of impressive work while allowing just two hits for his first win of the season. Nick Eastman came on in relief; he pitched two innings and allowed one hit.

Crist led Coloma at the plate with a double and single.  Nathan Wilder chipped in a single and scored two runs. Boyd had two RBIs.  Starnes hit two singles.

Col   0 0 5 | 1 0 0| 2     8  8  1

Gob  0 0 0 | 0 0 0| 0     0  3  2

In the evening game Coloma scored their second victory of the night with a 7-4 win.

Gobles opened with a three-run first inning, putting the Comets in the ‘catch-up’ column for half the game. Following the first inning, the score was 3-1 in favor of Gobles.

While their opponent added another run in the second inning, Coloma didn’t score until the third inning. Their two runs put them back in the hunt. But, it took a four-run fourth inning to seal the win for Coloma.

Crist pitched for the Comets. He went five innings and allowed four runs on four hits. Crist struck out two batters and walked two. With the win, he improved to 1-2 on the season.

Starnes led the Coloma bats.  He scored three runs and had two singles. Crist hit a double and had two RBIs.  Schroeder hit two singles.

The Comets are 2-3 overall and 2-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Col   1 0 2 | 4 0         7  6  2

Gob  3 1 0 | 0 0         4  4  2

Watervliet Hall of Fame inductee Richie Morlock dies

In a heartbreaking moment for Watervliet athletics, news of Richie Morlock’s passing was confirmed by Watervliet Athletic Director Ken Dietz.

Morlock was inducted into the Watervliet Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2018. Morlock was unable to attend the March 1 induction ceremony due to his declining health.

Morlock, a 1953 WHS graduate, was a three-sport standout.  He played four years of varsity football from 1949-1952. He played on the varsity basketball squad in 1952 and 1953.

Morlock was also a four-year varsity baseball player. In 1953, Morlock was named Berrien County Athlete of the Year.

Our sympathies are with his family at this difficult time.

Hartford Indian Emerald Vanguard hosting golf fund-raiser

The Hartford Indian Emerald Vanguard is holding their annual golf classic on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at Lake Cora Hills Golf Club, 56640 County Road 671, Paw Paw. Net proceeds support the Emerald Vanguard of Hartford Public Schools.

Entry fee is $60 per player for this 2-player scramble; current Lake Cora Hills’ members pay only $45 for entry. Cart, greens fee, lunch & refreshments all included. First place prize of $200; cash prizes awarded in three flights with a required 15 teams participating.

Check-in is 7:15 a.m. with donuts, juice and coffee provided and an 8:00 a.m. start at the sound of a trumpet.

Sign-up is available day of tournament. Pre-registration is encouraged; contact Derek Clements at clementsd@hpsmi.org.