The championship tradition continues for the Goodrich baseball team.
In the first game of a May 16 doubleheader against visiting LakeVille, the Martians defeated the Falcons 9-3 to clinch their fourth straight Genesee Area Conference Red Division championship, and ninth in the last 10 years.
Of their nine titles, this is the first Goodrich team to go undefeated in the league.
‘It’s quite an accomplishment for the boys,? Goodrich coach Bob Foreback said. ‘That was one of the goals they set for themselves earlier in the year.?
The Martians later defeated LakeVille 9-5 in the nightcap, improving their record to 26-3 overall and 15-0 in the league.
Foreback said the team’s senior leadership has been one of the main keys to the team’s success, pointing out the work of pitcher Nick Wesener and catcher Renny Grant.
‘They’ve worked all winter long, going to camps and working in the gym,? he said. ‘They were on the same page all year, and it really paid off. All of our other seniors have really stepped up.?
In the opener, the Martians jumped to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, and later added one in the bottom of the fifth inning.
After LakeVille scored two runs in the top of the sixth to trim the Goodrich lead to 4-2, the Martians put the game away with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Wesener pitched 6-1/3 innings to get the win for Goodrich, striking out eight. Adam Compeau and Basil Wilson had three hits each at the plate.
Things were a little tougher for the Martians in the nightcap, as LakeVille scored one run in the first inning and two in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.
However, the Martians came roaring back with one run in the bottom of the fifth inning and six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Mike Skinner picked up the win for Goodrich in relief of Wilson, while Craig VanWagoner led the Martians with three hits.
The Martians tangled with visiting Byron May 12 in a couple of high-scoring games, and won both of them, taking the opener 12-7 and the nightcap 17-0.
The opening contest was tied at seven heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Martians scored five runs to get the win.
The second game was much more lopsided, with the Martians scoring five runs each in the second and fifth innings and four in the third inning.
With the regular season winding down, Foreback said the Martians will work on honing their skills to get ready for the playoffs. Since the Martians have been busy with game action recently, he said they haven’t had as much time to practice.
‘It’s a matter of fine-tuning and getting back to basics,? he said. ‘When we get back to practice, we’ll get back to fundamentals.?