Portage Lake takes lead
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STANTON -- Even pulling off a rare triple play wasn’t enough to keep the Wolverine Oldtimers from dropping a 14-6 decision to Portage Lake (PL) Saturday afternoon at Stanton Field.
This was the first game in the annual two-game series between the old rivals.
The 8-6-3 triple play -- the first in the long rivalry -- came in third inning after PL filled the bases with none out.
"It was nice to get it (triple play) because we needed it at that point in the game," Wolverine manager Jim Oikarinen said. "But it didn’t help us in the long run."
Trailing 4-1 at that point, the northend crew cut the deficit to 4-2 an inning later.
But PL scored six times in the fifth frame to expand their lead to a 10-2 spread.
"I liked the way we answered back," PL manager Joe Romano said. "It was still a game at that point, and we got moved away."
PL hurler Floyd Wakeham kept Wolverine in check after that, although a four-run sixth made it a little closer at 10-6.
With the bases loaded, PL's first baseman Joe Rossi made a leaping grab of a liner to cut the rally short.
Romano said that Wakeham was his usual steady self on the mound.
"Floyd has always been that way," he said. "He manages to keep a game under control."
Dan Coffey paced the winners with three hits, while Paul Kangas and Glenn Mitchell added two base knocks. All three rapped out doubles.
Greg Patrick, Glenn Patrick and losing hurler Glen Stukel collected two hits apiece for Wolverine.
PL now holds a 30-24 lead in the overall series.
Wolverine will host the second game at 1 p.m. next Saturday in Wolverine.