LocalSportsJournal.com

There is no easy way to earn the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association’s city baseball championship. 

Reeths-Puffer knew that going into Saturday’s Greater Muskegon Athletic Association tournament at Marsh Field. Facing tough teams like Mona Shores (14-3), Muskegon Catholic Central (16-3) and North Muskegon (18-2), the title is up for grabs for anyone to take. 

The Rockets can now say they are the best in the city after they defeated North Muskegon in a nip and tuck battle that resulted in an 8-7 win. 

“Pretty emotional right now, we beat three quality teams to get here,” said Reeths-Puffer coach Butch Attig. “One seed, two seed, it doesn’t matter, it is a grind. Three games in one day and they are all against good company.”

Earning the city title came with gritty hitting and pitching for Reeths-Puffer to fight off North Muskegon.

Trent Reichert carried a big load for the Rockets, throwing five innings on the mound with eight strikeouts. He knocked in the game-winning run in the sixth inning when he hit into a double play with runners on first and third. Reichert also hit a two-run double in the third inning.

Holden Earnest pitched the sixth and seventh innings for Reeths-Puffer and was able to help the Rockets hang on. He was backed by a tough defense in the field. 

The gritty plays by Reeths-Puffer were matched by a solid hitting North Muskegon team. 

Logan Slimco opened the game’s scoring for North Muskegon with a two-run home run that was lasered far over the fence in left-center field.

Ben Meyer smacked a two-run homer of his own in the fourth inning for North Muskegon. 

The Rockets were put on the ropes by North Muskegon in the seventh with the tying run on third base for the Norse. But Reeths-Puffer’s Landyn Wilson came through with a sliding catch in right field to secure the win. 

The Rockets reached the finals by defeating Muskegon Catholic Central, 5-0, in the quarterfinal. 

Brayden Mitchelson and Holden Earnest gave up three hits and one hit, respectively. 

Ethan Frang led at the plate with three hits. Jack Yonkman, Reichert, Jaxson Whitaker, Lukas Johnson, Caiden Theisen and Quinn Alderink added a hit apiece.

In the semifinals, the Rockets squeezed by rival Mona Shores, 3-2.

Whitaker allowed five hits while Reichert struck out one batter.

Theisen collected a pair of hits, and Reichert, Frang, Earnest and Mitchelson each chipped in a hit.

“It had to go well, tt just was a team effort,” said Attig about the grueling day. “This is the epitome of team, what transpired in these three games today. There were no individuals, everyone picked each other up and I am so proud of them.”

For Whitaker, the championship day gave him and the four other seniors on the Rockets baseball team a new perspective.

“Feels good, first time we’ve won (city championship) and I think it’s the first one our school has won since 2006,” said Whitaker. “It was hard – a grind – but we kept our composure all day, even when we were down, but that’s the type of team we are.

North Muskegon reached the finals with a 2-1 win over Montague in the quarterfinals and a 3-2 win over Oakridge in the semifinals. 

“Three-straight one-run games, the third one we couldn’t pull out,” said North Muskegon coach Garret Moyer. “That’s what the tournament in Muskegon is supposed to look like.”

The Norse had high hopes of taking home the city title for the second straight year. But this year it wasn’t meant to be. 

“It was fun to see guys bringing arms out, everyone competing at a high level here today,” said Moyer. “The things that Pete and Walt (Gawkowski) have done for this field (Marsh Field) and area baseball, kids being able to come here and play and for them to host this, they do a tremendous job. The field played beautiful all day.”