Big Rapids’ newest baseball team, the Post 98AA Rubberducks, took second in the competitive Iron Duke American Legion Tournament in Mount Pleasant last weekend. The tournament is hosted by Post 110 at the Mount Pleasant High School and Sacred Heart baseball fields. The bracket play and finals were played at Central Michigan’s Theunissen Stadium.

Post 110AA, coached by former Big Rapids High School Coach Scott Pieratt, took first overall in the tournament.

The Ducks opened with an 11-7 loss to Post 110AA before ripping off a 10-3 win over Hudson Post 180, a 15-5 win over the Gaylord Baseball Club, a 15-3 win over Post 110A, then an 8-0 shutout of Post 295 Breckenridge. The Final was a rematch with Post 110AA, Scott Pieratt’s team, in which Post 110AA won 8-0.

Big Rapids Post 98AA was lead offensively by Newaygo’s Russell Toth. Toth cranked out eight hits in six games including four doubles. He drew five walks and scored 10 runs. Russell also pitched in the championship surrendering only two earned runs in four innings while striking out three.

Big Rapids’ own Philip Wilber blasted two of the team’s five homers hit over the weekend. Reed City’s Max Hammond and Caleb Somers hit one a piece, and BR’s Ty Gielczyk added an inside the park home run at Theunissen Stadium.

Gielczyk didn’t surrender an earned run in 10 innings pitched. Ty struck out 14, gave up only five hits, and held opponents to a .139 batting average. In the Semi Final he logged a complete game shutout of Post 295 Breckenridge allowing only two hits and striking out 10.

“It was disappointing not to win the whole thing, but these guys tore the cover off the ball all weekend and played tough," said coach J.T. Scarpelli. "Pieratt’s Post 110 is a solid team. They hit the ball and play defense. We’ll get them soon. Overall, it was a great weekend for the guys.”

Scarpelli is also the coach of Big Rapids High School.

“This is one of the best run tournaments in the state. Keith McDonald does a tremendous job putting this on with Post 110. We want to replicate what he has in Big Rapids in future years. We want to host more Legion Baseball for the Big Rapids community.”

The Post 98 Ducks are 6-6 on the summer. They get a rematch with Post 110AA Wednesday at Big Rapids High School. First pitch is at 5:30 P.M. with the Post 98 Honor Guard opening the game.

 

*Photo credit to Keith McDonald of Post 110AA