ENID BOUND: Lansing claims Region XII baseball title with 17-6 win over Kellogg CC

The eight ranked Lansing Community College baseball team has earned a trip to the NJCAA Division II World Series with a 17-6 win over fifth ranked Kellogg Community College in the NJCAA Region XII Baseball Championship game at Siena Heights University in Adrian on Saturday. The win came after Kellogg had won the first championship game 8-6.

Kellogg opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Tate Peterson drove a double to right center to score Noah Warren. In the second inning, Kellogg extended the lead to 3-0. Donovan Thompson hammered a homer down the right field line to make it 2-0. Then, Peterson's bases loaded walk scored Eli Hillard to make it 3-0. 

Lansing CC exploded in the third inning. The Stars opened the scoring when tournament Most Valuable Player Robert Cavin doubled scoring Payton Mazzola. Blake McRae scored on a single by Jace Preston single, Cavin also scored when Noah Warren bobbled the ball in left field. Preston scored on Ryan Rifenberg single to make it 4-3, Stars. Chris Hege doubled to score Rifenberg and Shane Juday to make it 6-3. 

Robert Cavin, Lansing CC, MVP

R.J. Sherwood blasted a two-run homer to right center, in the bottom of the third, scoring Brent Stany to close the score 6-5, Lansing. In the top of the fourth Cavin scored for Lansing on a Rifenberg single through the left side. That was followed by a Noah Bright three run blast scoring Juday and Rifenberg to make it 10-5. In the bottom of the fourth, Peterson scored on a throwing error by the shortstop Hege. 

In the top of the fifth, Juday drove in Hunter Lay with a single to center field. Noah Bright on a Payton Mazzola sacrifice fly to in the top of the sixth inning. Lay then drove in Hege with another sacrifice fly to increase the lead to 13-6. 

In the top of the eighth, Mazzola scored on a single by Blake McRae. McRae then scored on a sacrifice fly by Judy to extend the lead to 15-6. Then in the top of the ninth, Lansing closed out the scoring as Hunter Lay grounded out to second scoring Bright and Hege scored on a McRae single. Noah Megyesi threw three and two thirds' innings, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out three to pick up the win. Ashton Potts took the loss for the Bruins. 

The Stars now advance to the NJCAA Division II World Series in Enid, OK on May 28-June 4 at David Allen Memorial Park.