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Emeralds Baseball Settles For DH Split In Pickford
 PICKFORD---The Manistique High School baseball team extended its winning streak to five games with a 14-9 win over Pickford Monday night, but the Emeralds coughed up a 6-1 lead and lost in the nightcap, 10-6. The Emeralds lost a chance to get to the .500 mark with that loss. In the opener, Parker Graphos battled on the mound, using up all 105 of his allowed pitches (actually 108) and got within one out of a complete game. He allowed nine runs (five earned) on eleven base hits, but he struck out ten batters and did not issue any walks. And he helped himself at the plate, with three base hits and two runs batted in. A highlight for Manistique was the batting of senior Carson Sprader, who's known as a P.O. (pitcher only). But on Monday, he was 3-for-3 at the plate, and launched a solo home run in the fifth inning to give the Emeralds a 10-3 lead. Jack McEvers, who also had three hits, singled in a run in the top of the sixth inning to give Manistique a 14-4 lead before the Panthers got four hits and cashed in on two Manistique errors in the bottom of the sixth to deny Graphos his bid for a complete game. Jude Way came in to get the strikeout to clinch the game. Pickford got three RBI each from Connor Clegg and Blake Spencer in a losing effort. In the second game, Manistique jumped to a 6-1 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth inning, and pitcher Isaiah Brow seemed to be on cruise control. But then came a nightmare inning that saw Pickford score nine times, with seven of the runs coming after Brow had two outs. George Edington's two-run single broke the 6-6 tie and gave Pickford the lead. The Emeralds did not go quietly as darkness fell in the sixth inning. They loaded the bases on two walks and a hit battsman, and McEvers was the tying run at the plate. McEvers popped up to end the ballgame. Manistique, after going 3-18-1 in their first season last year, is now 9-11-1. |
