COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – In Branch County high school sports over the weekend, it was a very busy Saturday. In baseball, Coldwater was the winner of their annual Pat Lowe Memorial Invitational with Quincy part of the 6 team tournament. The host Cardinals went 3-0 on the day starting with a 3-2 comeback victory over Mattawan. Coldwater trailed 2-1 but scored twice in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single by Sean Printke bringing home the winning run. Randall Linton pitched the seventh and earned the victory with his one inning of relief.
The Cardinals then scored a 16-2, five inning win over Portland St. Patrick. Addison Duda picked up the victory with a 4-hitter over 4 innings. Bryce Barringer led the offense, going 3-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI’s. Nicholas Shaw added a double and 3 RBI’s. Coldwater capped off the Invitational by beating Gull Lake 7-3. Brayton Rzepka went five innings on the mound to earn the win and helped his own cause with two doubles and 3 RBI’s. Jordan Butler had 3 hits including a triple with 3 RBI’s. The Cardinals defense helped carry the day with only one error in the 3 games. Coldwater improved to 9-and-3 and they return to action tomorrow at home against Pennfield.
Quincy dropped a pair of games on Saturday. The Orioles opened with a 3-1 loss in eight innings to Three Rivers. Tyler Powell suffered the defeat with 7 hits allowed and 11 strikeouts over 7-and-a-third innings. Quincy was held to 4 hits with a double each for Bryce McCavit and Jake Jodway. The Orioles then fell 11-to-1 in five innings to Gull Lake. Quincy’s record on the season is now 6-and-4.
In another tournament on Saturday, Bronson won the Union City Rotary Invitational. The Vikings beat Pittsford 11-0 and then shutout Michigan Center 5-0 in the title game. In the opener, Ethan Cossairt earned the win with a 4-inning three-hitter. Philip Mandoka had 2 hits and 2 RBI’s. In the championship victory, Daniel McMichael went the distance with a 5-hitter and 7 strikeouts. Tyler Roussey had 3 hits, including 2 doubles as Bronson improved their record to 3-and-7.
Union City dropped its first game 6-to-5 to Michigan Center. Kenyon Stuchell, Darren Austin, and Colin Kreger had 2 hits apiece. In the consolation contest, the Chargers beat Pittsford 2-0. Freshman Blade Gordon earned his first career win and Stuchell picked up the save. Elijah Way had an RBI double and scored a run as Union City improved to 2-and-7.
In softball, Coldwater had a 1-and-1 record hosting their annual Lady Cardinal Invitational. They started by falling 12-to-9 to Three Rivers for their first loss of the season. Stacy Guzy suffered the defeat. Payton Watson led the way at the plate with a triple and 2 singles. Coldwater then defeated Portland St. Patrick 10-0. Darlene Horn picked up the victory with a 3-hitter and 7 strikeouts along with no walks. Watson had a double and 2 singles while Morgan Howard added a home run and a single. Coldwater’s record is now 9-1.
Also in softball, Bronson had a 2-and-1 record at the Homer Invitational. The Lady Vikings started with a 22-1 win in 3 innings over Springport. Adyson Lasky picked up the victory on a 3-hitter with no walks. Payton Robinson had a home run and 2 singles and 6 RBI’s. Kinslea Blouin and Lasky each had a double and 2 singles and 2 RBI’s. Bronson then fell 8-3 to Napoleon with Skyler Sobeski taking the loss. Sobeski and Blouin each had a home run. The Lady Vikings finished the day with a`12-0 win over Parma Western behind a 6-inning one-hitter from Lasky. She also had a double and single with an RBI while Allie Sikorski had 3 RBI’s with a home run and a single. Bronson’s record is now 9-3.
In junior varsity softball, Coldwater went 1-and-1 in a tournament at Gull Lake. They beat West Ottawa 14-3 on a 2-hitter by Sierra Wolfcale with 2 singles and an RBI for Drue Mullin. Coldwater lost 5-0 to Rockford.
In girls soccer on Saturday, Coldwater played to a 1-1 tie at Eaton Rapids. After a scoreless first half, the visiting Greyhounds scored with 5:47 to play on a 25 yard shot from the top of the box. The Cardinals got the equalizer with 1:40 to play from Madison Marsh from about 5 yards out. The assist went to Valeria Vargas Ocampo. Shelby Bowers made 2 saves in goal for Coldwater. The outcome in the non-conference contest left the Cardinals with a 3-1-and-2 record.
The Coldwater JV team was at the Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Invitational Saturday, where they fell to the host Knights 2-0 and also to Sturgis 2-0.
In boys golf on Saturday, Coldwater came in fifth place out of 14 teams at the Comet Invitational hosted by Kalamazoo Christian at the Thornapple Creek Golf Course. The Cardinals team score was 345 with the winning team from Grand Rapids Forest Hills shooting a 317. Leading the way for Coldwater by finishing 16th overall with an 84 was Nolan Duda. Nathan Waterbury had an 86, Cameron Ruge an 87, Stephan Boston 88, Nick Galliers 92, and Keagon Dwyer 97.
In track, Quincy was at the Homer Invitational with the boys finishing fifth out of 5 teams while the girls took second place. Katie Spalding won the 100 meter hurdles while Kayti Hawkins won the discus.
Finally, in JV Tennis, Coldwater took fourth place out of 5 teams Saturday in a tournament at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix. Gaby Boston took second place at first singles while at first doubles, Emily Foulk and Kayle Riley finished second.
Today in high school sports, in girls soccer, Coldwater plays at home against Three Rivers for Youth Soccer Night. Kids wearing soccer jerseys will be admitted free and can accompany the varsity players on the field during introductions. The junior varsity game begins with 5 p.m. with the varsity at 6:45 p.m. Also in soccer, it’s Quincy at Springport. In Girls Tennis, it’s Coldwater at Sturgis, and in Boys golf, Union City and Quincy play in a Big 8 Jamboree hosted by Jonesville at the Mill Race Course.
