Watervliet Press Box

Watervliet Baseball

 The Watervliet varsity baseball team hosted Saint Joseph Michigan Lutheran on Tuesday, May 19, for a non-conference doubleheader, looking to continue their late-season surge against the Titans and run their current winning streak to twelve straight.

 In game one, it went the full intended distance, with a strong pitching effort and an offensive surge leading to a win, 8-1. While Michigan Lutheran scored just one run in their final at-bat, the same couldn’t be said for the Panthers. Watervliet put two on the scoreboard in their first at-bat, before another run in the bottom of the second inning pushed the lead to 3-0. Two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning kept the push going.

 In game two, it went two full innings, with Mother Nature making her presence felt and leading to a win in a weather-shortened game, 7-4. In their two innings on the field, both the Panthers and Titans scored runs. Michigan Lutheran scored a run in the top of the first inning and three runs in the top of the second inning, but Watervliet responded with three runs in the bottom of the first and four runs in the bottom of the second for another sweep, their sixth in a row.

 Owen Williams (game one – CG, 3 H, 9 K) and Hayden Billings (game two – 4 K) were the winning pitchers, with Billings earning his first varsity win. The Panther offense smashed 13 total hits, with two players recording three hits, Brayden Harasewicz (all singles) and Cael Morris (two singles, double), while Nathan Harasewicz (all singles) and Cayden Ryan (all singles) provided two hits each. Morris drove in a team-high three RBI.

 The team traveled to Decatur on Thursday, May 21, for a non-conference doubleheader, looking to slug their way through the final week of the regular season by taking down the Raiders, another team having a strong season themselves.

 In game one, it went the full seven innings, with a solid pitching effort and a strong offensive start, leading to a win, 7-2. The Panthers got a run in their first at-bat, before another run in the top of the third inning would push their lead to two. Watervliet created havoc on the bases in the top of the fourth inning, pushing four runs across home plate for a 6-0 lead, and after Decatur got two runs back, an add-on run in the top of the seventh inning would seal the winning margin.

 In game two, it went the full intended distance, with the Panthers’ try at overcoming a huge deficit falling short in a loss, 14-12. The Raiders plated eight runs in their first at-bat, but Watervliet scored six runs in the top of the third inning, a run in the top of the fourth inning, and four runs in the top of the fifth inning, grabbing a surprising lead, 11-10. That would be short-lived, as Decatur scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and held off a late charge.

 Cayden Ryan was the winning pitcher in game one, striking out 13 batters in a complete game performance. The Panther offense smashed 21 total hits, led by Caleb Jewell’s five hits (three singles, double, triple). Cael Morris had four hits (all singles), while Ryan provided three hits (all singles). Nathan Harasewicz drove in a team-high four RBI.

 The baseball team hosted the Red Arrow Raiders (combined team from New Buffalo and Three Oaks River Valley) on Friday, May 22, for a non-conference doubleheader, looking to close out the regular season and prepare for districts with victories.

 In game one, it went the full seven innings, with a back-and-forth battle that saw the Panthers fall short in a loss, 6-5. After allowing Red Arrow to jump out to a 2-0 lead, Watervliet plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, to push in front, 4-2. After the Raiders tied the game in the top of the fifth inning, the Panthers regained the lead, 5-4, in the bottom half of the fifth, only for the game to slip away from their grasp in the top of the seventh inning.

 In game two, it went five full innings, with the contest declared a tie, 2-2, after darkness forced the game to be called. Showing how similar these two teams played throughout the night, both Red Arrow and Watervliet scored their two runs in the third inning.

 The Panther offense smashed 10 total hits, led by Nathan Harasewicz with four hits (two singles, two doubles), while two hits were provided by Brayden Harasewicz (all singles) and Cael Morris (single, double). Nathan Harasewicz drove in a team-high three RBI.

Watervliet Softball

 The Watervliet varsity softball team hosted Saint Joseph Michigan Lutheran on Tuesday, May 19, for a non-conference doubleheader, attempting to celebrate ‘Senior Night’ with victories over the Lady Titans and keep their winning streak rolling down the track.

 In game one, it went the full intended distance, with a strong performance in the circle and on the diamond leading to a win, 10-4. The Lady Panthers pulled ahead early, with three runs in their first at-bat, but Michigan Lutheran tied the game at 3-3 going into the bottom of the third inning. Watervliet took the lead for good with three runs in the frame, before adding a run in the bottom of the fourth inning and three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to finish going away.

 In game two, it went into the fifth inning, with the mercy rule eventually grabbing the headlines in another win, 20-10. In what resembled a football score, the Lady Panther bats remained scorching hot in another offensive explosion. The Watervliet ladies scored nine runs in the bottom of the first inning, six runs in the bottom of the second inning, and four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, before a run in the bottom of the fifth inning confirmed the sweep.

 Emma Kirksey (game one – CG, 7 K) and Ava Thomas (game two) were the winning pitchers. The Lady Panther offense smashed 28 total hits, as nine players turned in multi-hit nights. Kaylee Bartee (single, two triples, home run) and Sienna Bulat (two singles, double, triple) led the way, with four hits each, while four players: Alexis Eberhard (single, two triples), Kirksey (all singles), Leila Liberto-Taylor (single, two doubles), and Ava Trapp (two singles, home run) provided three hits each. Bartee drove in a team-high five RBI.

 The team traveled to Decatur on Wednesday, May 20, for a non-conference doubleheader, attempting to continue their winning ways on the diamond against the Lady Raiders and extend their season-high winning streak to ten straight games.

 In game one, it went the full seven innings, with the ladies using aggressive plate appearances for an impressive win, 5-0. All the damage for the Lady Panthers was done in the first three innings, scoring two runs in the top of the first and third innings, and a run in the top of the second inning, capping their offensive onslaught. Decatur, on the other hand, spun their wheels, as the home team was no-hit and had just one base runner in the contest reach on a fielding error.

 In game two, it went five full innings, with the mercy rule being breached in another dominating win, 20-3. Watervliet was powered by an offensive attack and strong pitching, starting with three runs in their first at-bat. After the Lady Raiders got two back in the bottom of the first inning, the ladies in maroon and white put up eight runs in the top of the third and fifth innings, sandwiched by a single run in the top of the fourth inning, earning the sweep with ease.

 Emma Kirksey was the winning pitcher in both games, including a no-hit, six-strikeout performance in game one. The Lady Panther offense smashed 21 total hits, led by Ava Trapp with four hits (all singles), while three players provided three hits: Kaylee Bartee (two singles, double), Madison Eberhard (all singles), and Kirksey (two singles, double). Leila Liberto-Taylor drove in a team-high six RBI.

 The softball team hosted Dowagiac on Friday, May 22, for a non-conference doubleheader, attempting to make it a perfect week on the diamond by downing the state-ranked Lady Chieftains (Honorable Mention in Division 2), in their second meeting of the year.

 In game one, it went the full seven innings, with the Lady Panthers struggling against one of the top pitchers in the area and suffering a loss, 7-0. With a young lineup void of seniors, the team showed grit, despite being shut out with only two hits. Dowagiac took an early lead with back-to-back single-run frames in the top of the first and second innings, with the dagger coming in the top of the fifth inning, when the Lady Chieftains put the game out of reach with four runs.

 In game two, it went the full intended distance, with the ladies earning their biggest win of the season in a thriller, 4-3. The coaching staff was quick to highlight the team’s ‘all-in’ attitude, energy, and excitement for their success in this one. Only two at-bats in this game featured runs, highlighted by Watervliet’s four-run bottom of the first inning, which saw plenty of small ball, including two walks, two singles, a sacrifice fly, and an error getting runs across home plate.

 Mackenzie Birmele (CG, 3 H, 2 K) was the winning pitcher in game two, in what was said to be the performance of her career in the circle. The Lady Panther offense smashed nine total hits, with two-hit efforts, all singles, being provided by Alexis Eberhard and Sophia Rader. Eberhard, Rae Prestidge, and Rader drove in a single RBI each.

Watervliet Girls

 The Watervliet varsity girls soccer squad traveled to Lawton on Monday, May 18, for a non-divisional conference match, hoping to finish the regular season on a high note with a victory over the Lady Blue Devils, which would be huge as the postseason grew closer.

 The Lady Panthers had a rough night on the pitch, getting off to a slow start and never recovering in a loss, 7-nil. Despite the end result, the ladies did pick up their level in the second half, as Watervliet trailed after forty minutes of action, 5-nil, before being forced off the pitch by the mercy rule by allowing just a pair of goals in the closing stretch. With districts looming just three days later, the ladies in maroon and white would need to shake this quickly.

Watervliet Golf

 The Watervliet varsity golf team traveled to Beeches Golf Club on Tuesday, May 19, for the Southwestern Athletic Conference finals, as the golfers tried to avoid the rough and sand traps while battling all the league teams over an eighteen-hole round.

 In the team standings, the Panthers finished in twelfth place with a total of 401 strokes. Leading the way was Connor Van Lente, who finished the day tied for 38th on the leaderboard, with a score of 91. He was followed by Wyatt Wagner (T52nd, 99), Moeko Crago (57th, 103), and Ashton Coleman (T65th, 108).

 For upcoming athletic schedules, go to https://www.wpspanthers.com and click on the ‘Events’ link.

 As always, GO MAROON! GO WHITE!