The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Milan edges SMCC, moves to 3-0 in Huron
Big Reds win 4-1 despite finishing with one hit, split weekend doubleheader
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 3, 2007
It's one thing for a team to win when it plays well. It's another to win when it doesn't play well.
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And it's yet another for a baseball team to win despite getting only one hit in a seven-inning game.
But that's what the Milan Big Reds accomplished Monday on the road against St. Mary Catholic Central, taking advantage of successful bunting, smart baserunning, and Falcon errors to win 4-1 despite registering only a single hit.
"We did a great job of manufacturing runs," said head coach Adam Gilles. "It's the sign of a good team when you can manufacture runs and win the game even when you're not swinging the bat as well as you'd like."
Mike Latham got the start and pitched five strong innings. Senior Jesse Karr pitched the final two innings for the save.
With the win, Milan improved to 8-4 overall and more importantly, to 3-0 in Huron League play.
The Big Reds squared off with likewise undefeated Monroe-Jefferson after press deadline Wednesday with the league lead on the line.
"It should be a real battle," Gilles said. "(The SMCC victory) was a big win for us."
The Big Reds got on the board in the fourth. Zach McGovern drew a lead-off walk before a second pass was given to Cameron Hynds.
Both runners would score on a single play, as the Falcons overthrew third in an attempt to nab McGovern trying to advance. A throw home was errant, allowing McGovern to score and Hynds to try for third. The home team's throw back to third went into left field for a second time and Hynds would come home for a shock 2-0 lead.
McGovern would be at the center of Milan's next rally as well, leading off the sixth with a bunt single for the Big Reds' lone hit. After Hynds reached on an error, Ryan Bordine sacrificed the runners to second and third.
Denver Straub then successfully executed a suicide squeeze, scoring McGovern and reaching base himself. Matt Suisse then delivered with an RBI groundout for Milan's fourth run and Karr would do the rest.
The win was Milan's second straight after splitting a Saturday double-header with visiting Plymouth-Salem.
The Rocks won a pitcher's duel in game 1 2-0, with Hynds giving way after five scoreless innings before Salem scored two in the sixth off Milan's Josh Bellers.
The Big Reds rebounded to win game 2 9-2, with Karr pitching four innings for the win. Matt Craig and Lance Smith recorded triples to help the Milan offense.
Gilles gave credit to the Salem pitcher for the game 1 defeat, but felt the four days of indoor practice forced by inclemenet weather had helped cool off his team's bats.
"Spending four days without live batting, in the cage with the machine, you can get into a rut," he said. "We just didn't hit the ball well. We left a lot of runners in scoring position. But once we got warmed up our bats got going again."
A scheduled double-header against Onsted last Thursday was rained out.
The Big Reds will host a double-header against Whiteford this Saturday at 10 a.m.
Staff Writer Jerry Hinnen can be reached at 429-7380 or at jhinnen@heritage.com.
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