ACC Takes Two of Three from Glen Oaks

ROCKFORD, Mich. — Alpena Community College's baseball team dropped the opener but bounced back to take two of three from Glen Oaks Community College in a weather-tested weekend series. Rain delays stretched the middle game across two days, but the Lumberjacks responded with back-to-back dominant performances on Sunday, including a run-rule victory in the finale to secure the series.

The Lumberjacks fell in the series opener despite putting eight runs on the board, as Glen Oaks rallied for a 10–8 victory. Alpena led 7–3 heading into the bottom of the sixth but could not hold off a seven-run Viking inning that turned the game on its head.

The Lumberjacks struck first in the second inning when Kaden Benaske launched a solo home run to right field, then Corbin Allen scored on a passed ball to make it 2–0. Alpena pushed across runs in the third and fourth as well — Aiden Bishop stole his way into scoring position and came around to score twice, while A.J. Wheelock went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Marcus Castellon had two hits including a key single in the fourth to keep the rally going. Isaac Zocco crossed the plate three times, reaching base on a walk and a stolen base in several of his plate appearances.

Lane Gross made the start and was sharp over two innings, allowing no hits. Charlie Best took over in the third and held the lead into the sixth before Glen Oaks broke through with seven runs, aided by hit batters, walks, and wild pitches. A late double by Ryley White in the seventh gave Alpena a runner in scoring position, but the Lumberjacks could not bring him around to end the game.

What began Saturday night as the second game of a doubleheader became a two-day affair after multiple rain delays forced a suspension. When play resumed Sunday, the Lumberjacks picked up right where they left off, finishing off a 17–5 run-rule victory over five innings.

The offensive outburst was built on patience at the plate as much as anything else — Alpena drew 15 walks and sent 43 men to the plate across five innings. The carnage began immediately: the Glen Oaks starter walked the bases loaded before recording a single out, and four of the six runs that eventually crossed in the first came on walks and wild pitches alone.

The Viking starter walked seven of the nine batters he faced in just two-thirds of an inning. From there, ACC kept the foot on the gas — Castellon tripled home a run in the third, and White laced a two-run double as part of a four-run second. In the fifth, with the score 14–1, Alex Jimenez drew a walk as a pinch hitter to plate the run that made it a run-rule situation, and Alpena closed it out moments later.

Zocco was the offensive standout, reaching base in all five plate appearances and going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Castellon ripped a triple and drove in three runs. White had two RBI on a double. Bishop crossed the plate four times, and Benaske and Nate Gould each scored twice. 

Kaleb Donajkowski was excellent on the mound, starting and working all three innings of the resumed game - one on Saturday, and two on Sunday - to earn the win. He finished with three innings pitched, two hits, one earned run, two walks, and two strikeouts. Ivan Kosmerick closed the game out with two innings pitched.

Sunday's finale was a pitcher's duel for five innings before turning into a rout, as ACC ran away for a 17–2 run-rule win over seven innings in a game originally slated for nine. The Lumberjacks put up zeroes through the first five frames and then exploded for five runs in the sixth and 10 more in the seventh to end it.

The pitching was the story early, and Jacob Brohl was the story of the game. The sophomore right-hander was untouchable through the first five innings, mowing down the Glen Oaks lineup and carrying a no-hitter into the sixth. The Vikings went down in order in the first, second, third, and fourth innings without so much as a base hit — Brohl working efficiently with ground outs, line outs, and strikeouts and giving the Alpena defense almost nothing to do. The no-hit bid finally ended in the sixth when Glen Oaks broke through for two runs on a pair of hits, but Brohl finished with six strong innings, allowing just those two hits and two earned runs to earn the win. Jacob Davis handled the seventh in relief to close it out.

When the offense finally woke up, it was relentless. Wheelock ignited the sixth with a leadoff double, and the Lumberjacks strung together three consecutive doubles from Benaske, J.J. Salas, and White to blow the game open. The seventh was even more emphatic — 10 runs on a parade of hits, errors, and passed balls that sent 14 Alpena batters to the plate. Maxwell McCarty went 3-for-4 with two RBI and scored twice. Salas drove in two runs and crossed the plate three times. White finished with three RBI and three runs scored. Benaske added two hits and two runs, and Wheelock's pair of doubles was a key catalyst throughout.

Glen Oaks needed five pitchers to get through seven innings. The Viking defense was shaky as well, committing four errors that helped fuel the Alpena surge.

Alpena went 2-1 in the series, outscoring Glen Oaks 34–22 across the three games. After dropping the opener, the Lumberjacks were error-free over the final two games. The weekend's most memorable performance came from Brohl, who carried a no-hitter through five complete innings in Game 3 before finishing with a six-inning gem. Zocco had a strong series at the plate, and the lineup proved capable of manufacturing runs in multiple ways — drawing walks, stealing bases, and stringing together extra-base hits when the moment called for it. Donajkowski and Brohl each earned wins on Sunday to close out the series on a high note.