The high school baseball season opened with a bang across West Michigan Tuesday night, featuring explosive offenses, dominant pitching performances, and a pair of games that set the tone for the spring. Mona Shores put on an offensive clinic against Montague, while Fruitport showed resilience in a comeback win over North Muskegon. Add in statement sweeps from Spring Lake, Shelby, and Muskegon Catholic Central, and it’s clear, local teams are already in midseason form.
Mona Shores bats stay hot in sweep over Montague
Cold weather didn’t slow down Mona Shores, whose lineup came out swinging in a commanding sweep of Montague.
The Sailors rolled to a 19-7 win in the opener, piling up 15 hits and scoring in bunches. Owen Tornga powered the offense with a home run, double, and three RBI, while JP Charron drove in four runs. Braylon Facchini added three hits and three runs scored, and every starter recorded at least one hit in a balanced offensive attack.
Mona Shores broke the game open early, erasing a brief 3-2 Montague lead with a surge of runs that Montague couldn’t recover from.
The nightcap was shortened due to darkness with Shores leading 9-3, but the momentum never shifted. Eli Habetler went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI, and Grady Gawkowski added another RBI performance.
Montague showed flashes early but struggled defensively, committing four errors while surrendering 13 hits, including Tornga’s home run.
Fruitport shows grit in comeback win over North Muskegon
Fruitport proved that early-season adversity won’t shake them, battling back for an 8-6 win over North Muskegon in a back-and-forth opener.
The Trojans came out firing, scoring six runs in the first inning behind patient at-bats and timely hitting from Hudson Hazekamp and Trevor Rusnak. But North Muskegon responded with a big third inning to tie the game at 6-6.
Instead of folding, Fruitport answered. Back-to-back doubles by Hazekamp and Rusnak in the fifth inning gave the Trojans the lead for good, with Rusnak later scoring on a fielder’s choice.
On the mound, Dexter Lillmars delivered a clutch performance in relief, tossing four strong innings while allowing just two hits to shut down the Norse offense late.
Other Games:
Spring Lake dominates with pitching, offense
Spring Lake looked every bit like last year’s 30-win team, sweeping Holland Christian 11-0 and 10-0. Maddux Kipling struck out 13 in a two-hit shutout in Game 1, while Oliver Smies followed with a no-hitter and eight strikeouts in Game 2. The Lakers’ offense was just as sharp, with Noah Sanders collecting three hits and Rion Bates blasting a two-run home run.
Shelby opens season with doubleheader sweep
Shelby picked up two wins over Evart, 5-1 and 6-4, to start the season 2-0. Trevor Weiss earned the Game 1 win, allowing just two hits, while Cam Smith struck out seven in Game 2. Offensively, Neil Gowell, Chase Simon, and DayDay Garcia all delivered key extra-base hits.
Muskegon Catholic Central takes two from Holton
MCC completed a sweep of Holton with 11-1 and 5-3 victories. Colton Lawson struck out eight while allowing just one hit in Game 1, and Bode Zygmuntowski added eight strikeouts in Game 2. Beckett Ream led the offense with four RBI.
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