Sometimes those runs that just pad a lead late in a game seem futile, but they were anything but for the Dragons at division foe Clarkston on May 1.
A bases-loaded walk and a three-run double from number eight hitter Nick Dunstan in the top of the seventh inning helped stretch a 4-2 lead to 8-2.
The Dragons held off a late Clarkston rally for the 8-4 victory.
‘We changed up the lineup before the second game (of a doubleheader) on Saturday to take advantage of some guys that were hitting the ball well,? said coach Andy Schramek.
The bottom three hitters, Dunstan along with Jake Gaudard and Matt Truscott, reached base on six of their nine plate appearances and added five RBI.
Lee Dickinson settled in after a rough first inning, giving up just two runs in five innings of work to help Lake Orion remain perfect in league play. He also credited the bottom of the lineup for their support.
‘To have a lineup where everyone can hit is great,? he said. ‘Most teams look at seven, eight and nine and think ‘we can take these guys,? but that’s not the case with us.?
Joe Barnes had LO’s only other hits, on a pair of triples.
Jon Ruggeri pitched the final two innings for the save.
The Dragons are now 11-4 overall and 4-0 in the OAA I.
The matchup of longtime rivals and two of the state’s top teams capped a busy week on the diamond for the Dragon baseball squad.
On April 29, Lake Orion split two games in their home invitational, placing third.
They opened against a Utica Eisenhower squad that played shutout ball for six strong innings while roughing up LO starter Jon Krause for seven runs.
The Dragon bats finally woke up in the seventh inning, but it was a bit too late as Eisenhower coasted to a 9-3 win.
Schramek said it was the defense that let the Dragons down.
‘That tournament was something that we really wanted to win,? he said.
However, in the consolation game against Warren Cousino, the Dragons looked like a different team. They scored three runs in the fifth inning to erase a 2-1 deficit, and held on for an 8-5 victory.
Josh Deeg got the win in six innings of work on the mound, striking out five along the way.
Grosse Pointe South topped Eisenhower, 11-2, to claim the title.
On April 27, the Dragons took a trip up I-75 to battle Grand Blanc, and escaped with a split, dropping the opener, 6-3, but taking the nightcap, 5-3.
That doubleheader came just a day after the Dragons topped Farmington, 9-3, on the road.
Dickinson looked strong as the winning pitcher with eight strikeouts in just four innings. He gave up just one earned run and also had double, triple and three RBI at the plate.