By KEITH DUNLAP

Of The Oakland Press

CHELSEA — Last June during the Division 1 state baseball final in Battle Creek, Saline’s Jeff Baublit sat helplessly as he watched his team get dominated by Birmingham Brother Rice, 8-0.

Baublit suffered a broken left arm earlier that year, and couldn’t bare to watch what the Warriors were doing to his team in the title game.

“It was awful,” Baublit said. “But I knew we would run into them again this year.”

Saline and Brother Rice did indeed cross paths again in a state quarterfinal on Tuesday, and Baublit made sure his team wouldn’t have the same feeling as it did last year against Brother Rice.

With the game tied 3-3 and the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Baublit lined a single up the middle to give Saline a 4-3 win over Brother Rice.

“They were ready to go today, as were we,” Brother Rice head coach Bob Riker said. “We put in a good, solid effort. We just couldn’t get over the hump.”

Baublit’s single was actually Saline’s only hit in the bottom of the seventh.

Saline’s Kory Gainey reached base to start the inning after a high throw to first on a ground ball pulled Brother Rice first basemen Matt Conway off of the bag.

Then, Saline put runners on first and second after Brother Rice catcher Jimmy Pickens unsuccessfully tried to throw Gainey out at second after a sacrifice bunt.

Brother Rice got an important out when Gainey was thrown out at third by Brother Rice pitcher Derek Kilmer on another sacrifice attempt, and then Kilmer got a second out when Alex Zeiher flied out to deep center.

However, following a walk to load the bases, Baublit ended the game with his hit.

“I wanted a fastball and to go right up the middle,” Baublit said. “I was looking for it (and) wanted to put a nice easy swing on it.”

Saline outhit Brother Rice, 9-6, and had baserunners left and right throughout the game. The only inning Brother Rice retired Saline in order was the sixth inning.

“I was a little surprised it was as close as it was,” Riker said. “They had some opportunities to score more than we did and they didn’t capitalize on them. But they did in the end.”

The Warriors saw their bid to become the first team to Class A or Division 1 to repeat as baseball state champion end at 29-9.

Brother Rice lost only Andy Lentz off of last year’s team and might have had as good a chance as any recent champion to repeat, but couldn’t hold off Saline.

“The repeat thing is something that’s good for writing and good for people to talk about,” Riker said. “It is very difficult to repeat. But aside from repeating, it’s difficult to win the thing one time. The repeat thing would’ve been nice, but that’s the way it goes.”

Brother Rice took a 2-0 lead after the first inning on an RBI safety squeeze by Steve Hodgins and an RBI single by Tommy Barrett.

Saline scored single runs in the first and third to tie the game before Brother Rice took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on an RBI triple to center field by junior Pat MacKenzie.

But Saline tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth to set up its rally in the seventh.

While Zeiher started and pitched the whole game for Saline, striking out six and walking none, Brother Rice used a committee approach on the mound.

Senior Matt Conway started, but departed following the third after he gave up five hits. Senior Brad Zambron pitched the fourth and fifth innings before Kilmer pitched the final 1 2/3 for the Warriors.

 

Contact Keith Dunlap at keith.dunlap@oakpress.com.