Lumberjacks Lose Home Series

ALPENA — It was a long two days at the diamond.

Alpena Community College dropped all four games of a home doubleheader series against the Muskegon Community College Jayhawks on Monday and Tuesday, April 20-21, falling by scores of 8-5, 8-3, 13-7, and 12-6. The sweep leaves the Lumberjacks at 9-12 in MCCAA Northern Conference play.

The four-game series was a tale of promising starts, resilient comebacks, and ultimately, an opponent that had just a little more on this particular week.

In Game 1 on Monday afternoon, ACC jumped out to a 4-0 first-inning lead, cashing four runs against the Muskegon starter on a parade of five walks. Ivan Kosmerick then took the mound and was nothing short of outstanding, holding the Jayhawks scoreless through the first five innings while recording five strikeouts and allowing just three hits.

But the Lumberjack offense went quiet after the first inning, and with one out in the fifth, Muskegon had two reach via a hit by pitch and a single. The Jayhawks' Johnny Karsten hit a three-run homer to cut the lead to 4-3 on one swing. The long ball was the first of what would be seven in the series. The next hitter walked and an error on a line drive to the outfield tied the game and ushered Kosmerick out of the game.

The Jayhawks then scored four in the top of the 7th against the ACC bullpen. The Jacks scored one in the bottom of the seventh and loaded the bases with two outs, but couldn't get the big hit to even things up.

Game 2 was a similar story, with ACC again finding the board early, trailing just 2-1 after an inning and 3-1 after five innings but unable to sustain the momentum. Jacob Brohl took the loss, surrendering seven runs over five innings against a Muskegon lineup that ran the bases aggressively, stealing four bases and capitalizing on three ACC wild pitches. Zach Holifield threw two solid innings of relief. Isaac Zocco and JJ Salas each had two hits.

If Game 1 stung and Game 2 frustrated, Tuesday's opener was a test of pure character. Muskegon came out swinging in Game 3, posting 11 runs through the first three innings and building an 11-1 lead. But the Lumberjacks refused to fold. Marcus Castellon was at the center of the ACC response, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run and three RBI, while Salas delivered two hits and two RBI and Jonny Rensberry chipped in with a key RBI single.

Alpena scored in four different innings — including a three-run third that briefly made things interesting — and clawed all the way back to within four at 11-7 in the sixth. Two late runs put the game away for Muskegon but the 13-7 final didn't reflect just how hard the Lumberjacks competed once they found their footing.

Game 4 told a similar story of resilience. Muskegon again struck early and built a 4-0 lead, but ACC refused to go quietly, scoring three in the bottom of the 5th to cut the lead to one. When the Jayhawks scored three in the top of the sixth to extend the lead, the Jacks again responded with three of their own to get within one again at 7-6.

Maxwell McCarty launched a solo home run in the fifth to ignite the offense, and when Isaac Zocco laced a two-run triple and Miguel Salcedo followed with a pair of run-scoring doubles across the fifth and sixth innings, Alpena had trimmed the deficit and made it a game. But Muskegon again had the answer, scoring an explosive fine in the top of the seventh to put the game away.

Salcedo finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI for the game. Lane Gross threw well against the explosive Muskegon offense, pitching 5.2 innings, striking out three and giving up three earned runs.

Across the four games, there were individual bright spots worth noting. Salas led the offense going 6-for-13 with four RBI. Salcedo was limited by injuries but was 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBI. A.J. Wheelock was 3 for 10 with a double and two RBI. Zocco posted a .375 OBP and knocked in three runs.

The challenges were collective. Muskegon outscored the Lumberjacks 41-21, taking advantage of 13 total ACC errors and 16 walks surrendered by Alpena pitchers. Left-on-base totals — including 11 stranded in Game 2 and 12 in Game 4 — proved especially costly, as the Jacks repeatedly had chances to change momentum and couldn't quite cash them in.

The series results drop ACC into fourth place in the MCCAA North with a 9-8 conference record. Grand Rapids CC leads with a 14-3 mark, followed by Mid Michigan at 12-7 and Muskegon at 13-8. Only the top two teams are guaranteed a spot in the postseason.

There is no time to dwell on the sweep. The Lumberjacks return to action this Friday and Saturday with home doubleheaders against the league-leading Grand Rapids squad.

The matchup will be the stiffest test of ACC's season, but the Lumberjacks have already beat the Raiders earlier this season. Also home doubleheaders carry their own energy, and the Lumberjacks have shown throughout this season — and frankly, throughout this very series — that they are not a team that quits. The fight they showed in the back halves of Tuesday's games is exactly the kind of character that wins close games when the stakes are highest.

The challenge this weekend will be what it has been all year: teeing off on hittable pitches, limiting free passes, and keeping games within reach long enough for the offense to matter. Throw strikes, play defense, and trust the process.

First pitch Friday is scheduled at noon at Veteran's Field in Ossineke.