Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark (CLICK HERE to view more images)
MUSKEGON — In any other scenario, Mike Johnston has Brandon Barry’s back. That’s what an assistant coach does for a head coach.
In this particular moment, the water bucket had Barry’s back — all over it. A cold bath never felt so good.
Barry’s Oakridge baseball team clinched the West Michigan Conference Lakes Division title on a steamy Tuesday with a sweep of visiting Montague, 16-1 and 16-2.
Oakridge opened its season with an 11-1 WMC Lakes loss to Ludington, but the Eagles reeled off 11 straight divisional wins for the outright championship after sharing it last season.
Oakridge carried its momentum over to Wednesday’s 11-2 nonleague victory Wednesday at Division 4 fifth-ranked Muskegon Catholic Central, pushing its overall record to 16-9.
Montague (12-19-1) finished 6-6 in the WMC Lakes Division, good for fourth place.
See photos above, including a link to even more images, and watch the water-bucket dousing of coach Barry in the video below:
Here are details from Tuesday’s Oakridge/Montague doubleheader:
- Michael Wambaugh got the pitching win in Game 1 for Oakridge. The right-handed junior allowed one run (unearned) on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in the three-inning contest.
- Wambaugh helped his own cause with a two-run double off the fence. He finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.
- Brody Jennings also went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored for the Eagles in the first game, while Landon Southard was 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Vitek Benes was 1-for-2 with three RBIs, while Aiden Johnston scored three runs.
- For Montague, Ryver Jarka tripled and scored a run in Game 1.
- In Game 2, Jennings picked up the pitching win for Oakridge. The right-handed senior allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in five innings.
- Benes was 3-for-6 with two runs in the second game for the Eagles, while Wambaugh, Evan Miller, Zach Cribbins, Chase Dutton, Bryce Bisson, and Brayden Cunningham had two hits apiece. Cribbins tripled and totaled four RBIs, while Miller and Dutton doubled. Wambaugh scored four runs.
- Jarka tripled again and scored a run in the second game for Montague.
- Baseball coaches from Spring Arbor University were on hand. They spoke with Wambaugh and Miller between games.
