One-Kick Wonders returns to championship form,

 

defeats Pitches Get Stitches in GRRS finals, 11-9

GRAND RAPIDS -- After briefly relinquishing its kickball crown in the tournament finals of the Grand Rapids Rec Sports summer circuit, the One-Kick Wonders scored seven times over the first three innings, then held on for an exciting 11-9 victory over Pitches Get Stitches in the GRRS fall finale, Oct. 18.

In the 12-inning title game -- staged under-the-lights Wednesday night at Huff Park -- Kyle Mettlach and Caleb Randall collected four hits each, while One-Kick clean-up hitter Trevor Jansma powered his way to four ribbies, including a double and a towering home run.

Following Jansma’s two-out, three-run blast to deep center field in the third inning, however, the Wonders scored just once more over the next six innings. Meanwhile, Pitches Get Stitches was slowly chipping away at the 7-1 deficit, closing to within 8-6 in the top of the sixth frame.

Paulos Frezghi, who busted a two-run double in the Stitches’ three-run fourth inning, again lined a two-RBI single with two outs in the sixth, which the Wonders left-fielder nearly snared with a shoe-string catch, knowing the margin would be reduced to just two runs.

The score remained 8-6 through the next five innings, until One-Kick Wonders seemingly broke the game wide-open with another 3-spot in the bottom of the 11th, ignited by THE GAMES MVP Alyssa Burke’s lead-off infield single, as well as her alert base-running.

Down to their final out in the 12th inning, PGS stitched together four consecutive safeties to make things interesting. When Andrew Ortiz rifled a single into left-center field, he represented the game-tying run, before the Wonders recorded the decisive out on a close play at first base.

Frezghi finished with a game-high five RBI, PGS shortstop Austin Hirt scored three times, while third baseman/captain Cole Gross, catcher Sarah Luna, and left fielder Connor Behem also had three hits apiece for the runner-up squad.

Pitches Get Stitches gained the #1 seed in the tournament with a 5-0 win-loss record during fall campaign, outscoring their opposition 74-22. PGS earned its ticket into the finals by upending Runs With Beer in their rubber match-up, 11-5.

One-Kick Wonders, the #2 seed captained by Austin Flynn, also went 5-0 during the regular season, before downing Sit On My Base in the semifinals, 10-6.

In the third-place match Wednesday evening at Huff, Runs With Beer defeated Sit on My Base by a 12-4 count.