MARATHON VICTORY: Cougars Top Broncos in 11

Click the thumbnails to see photos and video highlights, and see/hear interviews with Parker Maki, Hayden Rockhill, Josh Price, and BR-H Coach Al Botwright.

BARK RIVER---The Superior Central Cougars scored seven runs in the top of the eleventh inning to beat the Bark River-Harris Broncos, 10-3, on Wednesday. It is believed to be the longest game in both schools' history, and it lasted three hours and 29 minutes.

It was originally scheduled to be a doubleheader of two six-inning games, but ended up being a single game that was full of twists and turns.

"This is the longest game that I've ever been a part of," Broncos Manager Al Botwright said. "Eleven years of coaching high school baseball, either downstate or up here, I've never seen a game that long. That was one of a kind. Never went through two pitchers in a game that were both maxed out on their pitch count (105 pitchers). That's certainly a first, too."

"It's just hard to keep your mind into it after about nine innings," Superior Central senior pitcher Parker Maki said. "Long game. But it's still a great feeling to get a win."

"That's the longest baseball game I've ever played," Cougars right fielder Josh Price said. "It's just nice to play. It's been a long year, and it's nice for the hard work to pay off."

The early part of the game was sloppy as the Cougars scored in the top of the first inning when Matt McLaury was hit by a pitch and scored on a two-out single by Kyle Frusti. The Broncos scored twice in the bottom of the inning when Nick Javurek singled and eventually scored on an error. Zach Roninette struck out but reached base when the third strike got away from the catcher, and Max Hall was credited with an infield single to bring Roninette home.

From there, though, Superior Central pitcher Hayden Rockhill, a sophomore from Munising High School under the tri-op agreement that also includes Mid Peninsula, was in command.

He held the Broncos off the board the rest of regulation time, and finished strong, striking out the side in the sixth inning before reaching his 105-pitch count in a tie game.

"That's the second time this year that he's shut us down," Botwright said. "We would swing at the first pitch curveball in the dirt, which is what the pitcher wants, and we were always playing from behind in the count. He's an impressive pitfcher."

The Cougars had a chance to tie or take the lead in the third inning when Blake Walther, another Munising boy, smoked one toward the left field coriner with two men on. But Broncos left fielder Aidan Johnson raced over and pulled in a highlight-reel diving catch.

"That was probably our best defensive play of the year," Botwright said. "That was worthy of a SportsCenter highlight no question about that."

Walther returned the favor later in the game, though, when the first baseman laid out and snared a hot shot by Tyler Racicot that was ticketed for a right field base hit.

The Cougars scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth inning to toe the hame ay 2-2, but Broncos pitcher Nick Javurek recovered to get a strikeout and a groundout. Javurek gave up a walk and a hit in the fifth inning, but got out of that inning on a pop up. He reached his pitch count limit, so he gave way to Travis Mack to start the sixth inning.

Superior Central got a walk and an error in the top of the sixth but Mack was able to get Kyle Frusti to smack a line drive right at Zach Robinette in center field to end the inning. Rockhill, though, struck out all three guys in the bottom of the inning, forcing extra innings.

"I felt really good out there," Rockhill said. "My curveball was working quite well today. I really wish that (striking out the side) would have happened a couple innings sooner."

In extra innings, both teams had chances to win. Maki walked two men in the bottom of the seventh but got Johnson to pop up to end the inning. In the eighth, the Cougars grabbed the lead when Bobby Crsip walked and scored on a hit by Maki with two out in the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, BR-H was down to its final strike when Keaton Bartoszek and Issac Ives both got base hits from the #8 and #9 holes. That brought up leadoff hitter Javurek, and the Bay College recruit smacked a shot in front of the center fielder to bring home Bartoszek. Ives tried to score the winning run all the way from first base, but the relay throw to home plate was in plenty of time to get the third out. To the ninth inning we went.

The Cougars had two men on with one out against Mack in the ninth when Dakota Maki was safe on an error and Walther smacked a base hit. But Mack got a ground out and a pop up to end that threat.

In the bottom of the ninth, Zach Robinette led off with a single and with one out. Johnnie Robinette was hit by a pitch. But Maki got to ground outs to send the game to a tenth inning.

In that inning, Parker Maki and Rockhill both got base hits, but Mack got Kyle Frusti to fly out to Zach Robinette to end that inning. The Broncos got a two-out hit from Ives (his third hit of the game, and the only three he's had this season). But Maki got Javurek on a called third strike. On to the eleventh inning we went.

Mack only had 15 pitches to work with, and he was able to get Dakota Maki to pop out to end the inning. But he walked Walther and Kyle Frusti doubled to put two men on. Crisp hit a ground ball that the Broncos couldn't make a play on, loading the bases.

That was the end of the line for Mack, as Max Hall was brought in to pitch.

Things did not go well for Hall. Price came through with the two-run single to left field.

"I had ducks on the pond, so I just wanted to drive in some runs," Price said. "It was tied up 3-3. I mean, hitters live for this moment. I just wish it would have went over the fence, though. The infielders were playing in on me because it was bases loaded and they thought I was going to bunt again. I just got around on it and it went through third and short."

Parker Maki drew a bases loaded walk to make it 6-3.

Then Rockhill blasted a shot to the left field fence to bring home two more runs, making it 8-3.

"I thought it was going over (the fence), I'm not gonna lie," Rockhill said.

Kyle Frusti then smoked a shot to left field that bounced off the fence, bringing in the final two runs of the game.

"This is a phenominal win," said Parker Maki, a senior who led the Cougars with three hits. Rockhill, Kyle Frusti, Zach Frusti, Crisp, and Walther all had two hits.

Besides Ives' three hits, Javurek had two base hits for BR-H. The Broncos closed theor regular season with a 17-7 record heading into the districts against North Central at home on June 4.

The Cougars travel to Manistique on Thursday to close the regular season. They, too, will be on their home field for the districts, with a play-in game Tuesday against Menominee.