EAST LANSING, Mich. — Portage Central committed six errors leading to four unearned runs as it lost to Grand Blanc, 8-3 Saturday in the division one baseball state final at Michigan State University.
The Bobcats struck for two runs in the top of the first with just one hit which was a blooper into shallow center field.
"They were just finding ways with two strikes to put balls in play," Portage Central head coach Cory DeGroote said about Grand Blanc. "It wasn't anything special, it was just barreling balls and finding open space. We couldn't string those together and they did."
Grand Blanc then added six more in the top of the fifth for a 8-0 lead.
The Mustangs weren't able to get the bats going until the bottom of the sixth when Nick Ford singled home Luke Leto and Gavin Brasosky followed with a towering two-run homer to right field, but that was all PC could muster in the game.
"I think looking back on it we will say wow it was a really good team," Brasosky, a senior, said about this year's squad. "Special group of people, the coaches, everyone. Right now it just stings a little...but it was a fun season."
For Portage Central (35-5), this was the first trip to the state championship game in baseball since 2002.
"Not exactly the way we wanted to end it but looking back it was a great four years," Leto said when asked about his his school career. "All the friends that I have made, all these guys that I have went on this ride with, it is crazy, it was fun."
