It took 12 innings and two days, but Zeeland West beat Reeths-Puffer 4-3 in the division one baseball regional.
The Dux completed the comeback thanks to an infield ground ball from Cam Schuessler with the bases loaded to score Corey Holtrust.
"Our dugout is so positive, even the guys that aren't on the field they are just riling us all up," Schuessler said. "The starters, you saw, we were so exhausted but we just kept fighting."
"There is not one kid on this field tonight that wanted to go home," Zeeland West head coach Adam Locker said. "So it makes sense to me that it took so long. You got to be impressed by the way that Reeths-Puffer kept fighting, but I am so proud of our boys and the way that, when they didn't get it done, they continued to fight."
The Rockets led the game 3-1 when it resumed in the top of the third inning.
Zeeland West senior Terick DeJonge began the day on the mound and threw eight and a third scoreless innings allowing just one hit and two total base runners.
"Coach was talking before," DeJonge said. "We started off really slow the past day, he told me to come in and throw a lot of strikes and that is what I did. A Lot of balls got put into play, but our defense was there."
Carter Hughes was the winning pitcher after tossing a scoreless top of the 12th.
Word began to spread around the field at Reeths-Puffer among the Dux players and fans that the Rockets had already chartered a bus to Mt. Pleasant on Saturday for the super regional.
"Before the game we got here pretty early," Schuessler said. "Coach Locker told us they scheduled a charter bus and that honestly just riled us up even more. You could see and feel the energy through us, it was crazy, an unbelievable atmosphere."
"I will use every tactic possible to inspire our kids," Locker said. "I am not exactly sure if that was true or not."
Zeeland West (33-8) is on to the regional in Mt. Pleasant on Saturday to take on Midland Dow.
