LocalSportsJournal.com

MUSKEGON — Hudsonville Unity Christian visited Oakridge Friday night for what turned out to be an extremely entertaining high school baseball game.

Hudsonville brought their hitting shoes to the park, hammering out 21 hits and scoring nine runs over nine innings and escaped with a 9-6 victory.

The Eagles, who had 10 hits and scored six runs, somehow came up with enough offense at the right times in order to take the game into extra innings only to lose in the ninth.

Oakridge took a 3-1 lead into the top of the fifth inning when Crusader bats woke up. Combined with a couple of defensive hiccups, the Crusaders regained the lead 4-3.

Garrett Wever came through with a run-scoring RBI in the bottom of the seventh with two outs to keep the Eagle hopes alive and take the game into extra innings.

Sam Beckham and Kyler Hinken drove in two runs in the top of the eighth to give the lead back to the Crusaders.

Once again the Eagles rallied with two outs. Kyle Weaver drove in Brody Jennings and Ryan Cribbins scored Adrian Lanore to tie the game back up.

In the end, Hudsonville bats were a little too much as they scored three runs in the top of the ninth and then shut down the Eagles in order to close out the game 9-6.

Jake McNamara picked up the win in relief for the Crusaders. McNamara was also 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Two of his hits were doubles.

Ayden DeBoode and Steven Hoeksema both had big nights at the plate as well. Both players were 4-for-5 on the night. Six Crusaders had multiple hits. Third baseman, Sam Beckham, had two hits, scored two runs and drove in two.

Brody Jennings was one of four Eagles to have two hits on the night. He also drove in a run and scored two runs.

Ryan Cribbins had two hits including a triple. The triple came in the eighth inning scoring Kyle Weaver, and pushing the game further into extra innings.