Conway, Dingman post complete game victories as Mancelona advances to quarterfinals again
By Mike DunnCHARLEVOIX – The young Mancelona Ironmen of coachJim VanWagoner camethrough again. This year’sbaseball team, comprisedprimarily of talented under-classmen, repeated as Div. 3regional champions onSaturday, outscoring an out-standing senior-deep BenzieCentral squad 5-2 in thesemifinals and then rallying from a 3-2 first-inning deficitto outscore Whittemore-Prescott 8-3 in the finals.The Ironmen (28-5)advanced to the quarterfinalsTuesday at Traverse City West where they face Newaygo [seeresults of that game on thispage].“This exceeds the expecta-tions we had with this groupcoming into the season,” saidthe smiling VanWagoner, whohas guided his team to theregional tournament four years in a row. “I’m really proud of this group of young men. They went above andbeyond.”The formula for success inthe region was the same as ithas been all season for the young Ironmen. Rangy seniorright-hander Craig Conway and cool freshman fireballerBrandon Dingman deliveredcomplete-game performanc-es on the hill and theIronmen generated runs withsmall ball tactics, speed andtimely hits. And the defense was noth-ing short of super. First base-man Damion Decker didn’tcollect a pile of hits in the tworegional games but wasabsolutely stellar in the fieldand his contributions werecrucial to the outcome of thetwo games. The loose-limbedlefty time and again stretchedlike Gumby to bring in throwsthat would have eluded a lesstalented fielder.Second baseman LoganBorst snatched a screaming line drive inches off theground and converted it intoa critical double play in the win over Benzie. ShortstopKyle Schepperley weaved aneducated glove, as he hasdone all season, turning every hard shot that came his way into an out. Third base-man Dalton Sulz in the open-er and Conway in the titlegame were also outstanding.Catcher Cole VanWagoner,a freshman who possessesthe savvy of a much moreexperienced varsity player,didn’t allow a single passedball in the two games.Outfielders Wyatt Derrer incenter, Trevor Ackler in rightand Kevin Schepperley in lefttracked down everything that was near them and madesmart throws on balls thatthey fielded.It was an exceptional teamperformance all the way around for the young Ironmen and VanWagoner was rightly proud.“These guys have really stepped up,” he said. “Ourpitching with Craig, Brandonand Kyle (Schepperley) hasbeen very consistent and thekids have done the job in thefield game after game. Wehaven’t always been consis-tent hitting the ball but we’vebeen able to use bunts andsteals to manufacture runs inkey situations when we hadto. It’s been a great year and Icouldn’t be happier for thisgroup.”In the opening 5-2 victory over Benzie Central, it wasConway, one of the few sen-iors on this year’s roster, com-ing through big time onceagain. The hard-throwing,hardworking senior went thedistance, striking out six andtwice pitching out of bases-loaded jams.The Ironmen gave Conway solid support in the field andat the plate.In the top of the first,speedy junior Trevor Acklergot the “Ack Attack” in motionright away, hammering a 2-2pitch against the fence in leftcenter and motoring aroundfor a sliding triple. VanWagoner, a V.W. with themoves of a Mustang, strokeda sharp single to knock in Ackler with the first run of thegame.The Ironmen added threemore runs in the third whenConway, who can flat out hit,lined an RBI single and KevinSchepperley slammed a two-run double.That gave Conway a 4-0lead and he made it stick.Benzie, which set a schoolrecord with 30 wins during the season, put runners onbase in nearly every inning but came up frustrated timeafter time as Conway boredown and got the key outs heneeded.The Huskies had the basesloaded with one out in thesecond and fifth innings butcould generate just one runout of those opportunities. Inthe fifth, Joel Fields came tothe plate with the sacks fulland one run already in andhit a sizzling line drive thatappeared ticketed for centerfield. The score at that point was 4-2 in Mancelona’s favorand a single would have tiedthe score. Borst at second wassomehow able to catch theline drive just inches from theground, however, and thenturn it into an inning ending and rally-killing double play.The Ironmen scored aninsurance run in the top of the sixth when Derrer sin-gled, stole second and scoredon Kyle Schepperley’s single. After getting out of thefifth-inning jam, Conway struck out the side in the sixthand then, after allowing two walks in the seventh, coaxeda game-ending grounder toseal the victory.In the title game, freshmanBrandon Dingman toed therubber and he also went thedistance, holding Whittemorescoreless after a three-runuprising in the first inning.“Craig and Brandon havebeen our 1-2 punch all year,” VanWagoner said. “Craig hadto work through some wild-ness against an outstanding Benzie team and Brandonhad to settle down after ashaky start against an excel-lent Whittemore team. They both did a great job and they both benefited from gooddefense behind them.”Mancelona jumped out toa 2-0 lead in the first inning ascenterfielder Wyatt Derrercracked the first of his fourhits, an RBI double, and KyleSchepperley struck an RBIsingle. Whittemore bounced rightback to score three runs inthe bottom of the inning asTyler Janish and GarrettGalbraith had back-to-back RBI hits.Dingman, who seemed toget stronger as the game wenton, allowed the Cardinals justtwo more hits and three morebaserunners the rest of the way. The freshman struck outsix, walked two and permit-ted five hits. Only two of theCardinal runs were earned. Ackler delivered a sacrificefly in the second to chasehome Decker with the tying run and Kyle Schepperley Kyle Schepperley knocked in Wyatt Derrer once again inthe third inning with what would prove to be the game- winning run. The Ironmenadded two runs each in thefifth and seventh innings,each time with Conway con-necting for a two-run double. Wyatt Derrer went 4-for-4in the title game with fourruns scored, an RBI and twostolen bases. KyleSchepperley was 2-for-4 withtwo RBIs and Conway, whoplayed third in the title game,also came through big withhis two doubles and fourRBIs.Decker stretched to recordseveral outs during the gameand Schepperley was a regu-lar vacuum at short.
TheMaceloabaseballplayers holdup twofigers toidicate their secodstraightregioalchampioship.Effort is etched i the features of right-hader CraigCoway as he delivers aother sizzler agaist BezieCetral.Speedy Trevor Ackler slides safely ito third basewith a triple to lead off the game agaist BezieCetral.
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TRAVERSE CITY – TheMancelona baseball teamadded to its 2012 laurels withan extra-inning victory Tuesday in the quarterfinalsagainst Newaygo. TheIronmen prevailed 2-1 ineight innings to advance tothe Final Four at Bailey Park in Battle Creek for the firsttime in school history.Senior ace Craig Conway turned in another stellar per-formance, scattering six hitsand not allowing an earnedrun. He struck out seven.The Ironmen scored in thebottom of the sixth to tie thegame at 1 and then scored inthe bottom of the eight to win in walk-off fashion. Inthe sixth, junior Wyatt Derrerdrilled a clutch two-out dou-ble to chase home Cole VanWagoner with the tying run.In the eighth, first base-man Damion Deckerreached base on an error andadvanced to second on apassed ball. Logan Borst thenput the ball in play with aperfectly executed bunt andDecker came all the way around to score when theball was thrown away.
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The rangy senior right-hander of theIronmen hurled a complete-game vic-tory in the regional semifinals againstfavored Benzie Central on Saturday then knocked in 4 runs in the title-clinching win over Whittemore-Prescott.
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GAYLORD – The 32ndannual Mark MellonMemorial Triathlon is slatedfor Saturday, July 7, at OtsegoLake County Park. This yearmarks the 30th anniversary of the popular triathlon, which was started in 1981 by Dr. Dennis and Judy Mellonof Gaylord as a loving tributeto their son Mark, who was16 and a standout scholar-athlete at St. Mary when he was tragically killed in amotorcycle accident.The traditional OlympicTriathlon event features a 1K swim, 40K bike and 10K runand the Sprint Triathlon fea-tures a 500-meter swim, a20K bike and a 5K run. Relay teams are welcome to entereach of the events. There isalso a separate 5K run.First through third place ineach race will receive prizes,in addition to prizes in theseage categories: 12-15, 16-19,20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39,40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59,60-64, 65-69, 70-plus.Prize money for theOlympic distance races is$200 each for the male andfemale champion; $100 forsecond place and $50 forthird place. There is over$1,000 in raffle giveaways as well.The entry fee is $65 for theOlympic race, $55 for theSprint event, and $25 for the5K race. The fee goes up $10on the day of the race. Allprevious overall Olympictriathlon champions are free.The Olympic relay registra-tion is $125 and the Sprintrelay entry fee is $105. Two-or three-person teams may participate.The pre-race briefing at thebeach begins at 7:45 a.m. TheOlympic race is slated for an8 a.m. start for the males withfemales and relay teamsstarting at 8:05. The sprintrace begins at 8:30 a.m. forthe males and 8:35 a.m. forthe females and relays. The5K run is at 8:45. A post-racelunch will be served at thepavilion starting at 10:30 a.m.and the awards ceremony isscheduled for 11 a.m.The County Park is locatedoff West Otsego Lake Drive,four miles south of Gaylordoff Old Highway 27.To register online, visit www.markmellontri.com.For more information, callthe County Parks andRecreation Department at(989) 732-6521 or send an e-mail to Race Director DaveSmith atdavidsmith@mancelonaschools.org.
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Mellon Triathlon set for July 7
Softball
Lady Ironmen take St. Francis to the wire in regional opener; Kallie homerun in seventh closes the gap
By Mike DunnCHARLEVOIX – The Lady Ironmen of coach RichardDickerson had nothing tohang their heads aboutSaturday when they walkedoff the softball diamond atCharlevoix.The Mancelona girls putup a whale of a fight againstfavored Traverse City St.Francis in the Div. 3 regionalsemifinals played under ahot sun. Junior Kallie Derrerlaunched a sizzling line drivein the seventh inning thatsliced a path through thebreeze and traveled over thefence in deep left center. Hersolo home run brought theIronmen within a run but theIronmen could get no closerand suffered a tough 4-3 loss.Kallie, who has beenMancelona’s ace pitcher inthe history-making 2012 sea-son, was in tears after thegame ended. It had been aremarkable ride for her per-sonally after recovering fromoff-season knee surgery, anda remarkable ride for herteammates and coaches.Mancelona won its first-ever district title this seasonand Kallie was a huge part of the team’s formula for suc-cess.“It means a lot for us to behere (in the regional tourna-ment),” Kallie said. “We wonour first district ever andreached our goal to play herebut it hurts to lose. We justhave to work hard in the off-season and be ready for next year.”Kallie suffered a torn ACLduring basketball season andfor a while didn’t know if she was even going to play thissoftball season.“I’m just grateful I had thechance to play,” she said. “My teammates have all beenvery supportive. I’m so glad I was able to experience this with them.”Kallie not only recoveredfrom the surgery butreturned to the circle to startfor the Lady Ironmen for thethird season in a row andturned in her finest season todate, helping Mancelona to arunner-up finish in the Ski Valley behind perennialleague champ Onaway, afirst-ever district title and a25-8 record.“I’m very proud of thegirls,” Dickerson said after- ward. “It’s the first time in thehistory of the school we’ve won a district in softball andthat’s a great accomplish-ment. We won 25 games and we played hard againsteverybody.“I knew we could stay withthem today but we made acouple of uncharacteristicerrors and they took advan-tage of it. We battled right tothe end but hats off to St.Francis. They made the playsand beat us.”Kallie, employing hersweet mixture of explosiverise balls and off-speed deliv-eries, befuddled the St.Francis hitters through threeinnings as the Ironmen helda 1-0 advantage on the score-board.The difference in the gameto that point was the RBI sin-gle off the bat of Karyn VanderPloeg in the top of thesecond inning.St. Francis had runners atsecond and third in the bot-tom of the third but failed toscore as third basemanMieke Scaggs made a diving catch of an attempted buntto record the first out of theframe and catcher Ashley Derrer snatched anotherattempted bunt out of the airfor the second out. ElizabethStachnik of St. Francis thenhit a hard smash that rangy shortstop Dakota Derrerscooped like a Hoover andmade a laser throw to firstbaseman Lindsey Friday to just get the speedy Stachnik of an eyelash for the thirdout.The Glads tied the score inthe bottom of the fourth,however, and then pulledahead with two more runs inthe fifth. All of the runsscored were unearned asMancelona made someuncharacteristic errors.Mancelona battled back tomake it a 3-2 game in the topof the sixth when KallieDerrer walked to lead off,moved to second on a singleoff the bat of hard-swinging catcher Ashley Derrer, thenscored with two out whenMakenzie Willson whacked ahard shot that was misplayedby the St. Francis secondbaseman.The Gladiators added animportant insurance run inthe top of the sixth, though, when Maggie Esler hit a sac-rifice fly to give her team a 4-2 advantage.That extra run turned outto be crucial as Kallie struck her home run in the bottomof the inning to make it a 4-3game. Miranda Boucard ledthe inning off with a wickeddrive that St. Francis center-fielder Stachnik managed totrack down in deep left cen-ter for the first out. If that ballhad escaped Stachnik’s graspthen Kallie’s homer wouldhave forged a 4-4 tie andforced extra innings.But it turned out to be anarrow loss in a history-mak-ing season and now the Lady Ironmen underclassmen arepoised and hungry to make areturn run to the regionaltournament next year.“Now the girls know whatthey need to do to maintainthis level of play next year,”Dickerson said.Dakota Derrer is not only avacuum at shortstop but oneof the best leadoff hittersaround. The fleet-footedDakota, who set a staterecord with 19 triples thisseason, had two hitsSaturday. Ashley Derrer, the slugging catcher, also had two hits.Scaggs, Boucard and VanderPloeg had hits as welland Kallie cracked the homerun and scored two of thethree Mancelona runs.
Mancelona battles hard in loss
The faces tell the tale after Maceloa suffered a tough 4-3 loss to St. Fracis oSaturday.The Mark Mello Triathlo features swimmig, bikigad ruig with Otsego Lake Couty Park as thestartig ad fiishig poit.
Popular northern Michigan event takes place at Otsego LakeCounty Park, features Olympic and Sprint distances
Juior Kallie Derrer wids up to deliver aother explosive rise ball toward a St. Fracis hitter oSaturday.Maceloa catcher Ashley Derrer drills a sharp sigleto left field i the top of the fifth iig o Saturday.Maceloa coach Richard Dickerso (the oe with the short hair) talks to Kallieprior to St. Fracis battig i the bottom of the fifth.
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Te Maceloa baseballad softball teams com-peted der te ot sSatrda i te Div. 3regioal toramet atCarlevoix. It was tefort straigt timeadvacig to te regio for te Irome i baseballad te first time ever for te Lad Irome i soft-ball. Te post-game facestell te tale of ow eacteam fared. Maceloalost a 4-3 eartbreaker toSt. Fracis i softball btregaied te regioal titlei baseball.
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