EATON RAPIDS – Portland coach Jack Anderson watched his team win the first game of a league doubleheader at Eaton Rapids in extra innings on Monday.
McKenzie Anderson, bottom, of Eaton Rapids is tagged out by Madison Palmiter of Portland as she attempts to steal 2nd in the 4th inning of the second game of their double-header Monday in Eaton Rapids.
The win was the 900th of his career, but he was more worried about a conference title chase that the Raiders had just taken command of.
A come-from-behind, 3-1 win in the opener was followed by a 6-0 shutout in game two for a doubleheader sweep.
“I wasn’t even thinking of (the 900th win). I was thinking that we’re playing for a league championship in this game basically,” Anderson said immediately after the win. “I was more excited for the girls. That number was going to come no matter what when you get that close. …
“I really tried not to focus on it. I think people around me were more aware of it and with this whole thing, I’m here trying to do this with the kids. I’ve coached a lot of teams and have had good athletes and you don’t get to 900 with bad teams.”
The milestone win looked like it might have to wait for game two with the pitching of Greyhound senior Shelby Steele.
A home run from Eaton Rapids sophomore Aubrie Benward in the bottom of the fifth inning looked like it was going to hold up, but a leadoff single in the top of the seventh inning from Jorie Rutkowski gave the Raiders an opportunity.
A pinch runner was sacrificed to second and then moved to third on a wild pitch, setting the stage for Madison Palmiter.
Steele was a strike away from retiring Palmiter for the third out and ending the game, but the junior fouled off pitches to stay alive.
“It was nerve-racking at first but I knew my teammate had already gotten on and I just needed a base hit to get them in,” Palmiter said.
“To have her come in there and have that hit, that was big,” Anderson said. “I told her relax, swing the bat and get three swings at it. Don’t look at pitches. Get three swings at it, and she delivered.”
Eventually, Palmiter laced a hard ground ball through the infield to score the run. The Raiders got two more runs in the top of the eighth inning on a soft, blooped double from Taylor Trierweiler that came with the bases loaded and fell right in front of the right fielder.
“Our team has been able to do that throughout the year. We’ve been able to come back,” Anderson said. “They just keep chipping away. They don’t get down. …
“We are two very evenly matched teams and (Eaton Rapids coach Scott Warriner) has got a great team and that was a great high school game.”
Portland (22-3, 8-0) continued their scoring in the second game, plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning to give freshman Adrianna Novara, who ended the month of April with an earned run average under 1.00, an advantage she wouldn’t relinquish.