OGEMAW HEIGHTS - May 4, 2007 - After a week-long layoff, Ogemaw Heights had a chance to shake off the rust before getting back into league play, and did it at the expense of Gaylord in a non-conference doubleheader. The Falcons used five pitchers in taking 3-0 and 15-0 victories.

Both teams struggled to get the ball out of the infield in windy conditions in the opener, but the Falcons' pitching kept the Blue Devils off the scoreboard. Rick Dodridge started and struck out nine while throwing no-hit ball for three innings, and Ryan Bragg and Kyle Wangler combined to complete the shutout with four innings of five-hit relief pitching.

"We played small ball and got just enough on the board to win," said Ogemaw coach Jeremiah Peace. "Kyle Weber and Andrew Funsch both put down perfect buns on hit and run but plays and our execution was great."

Weber had two hits and two RBIs and Funsch had one hit and drove in one run to account for all of the Falcons's hitting in the game.

The second game was a different story as Ogemaw had 10 hits and 10 walks in taking a four-inning mercy win. Anthony Betancourt and Matt Faiman combined to throw and abbreviated no-hitter, the Falcons' third this year.

"Anthony was really on," Peace said. "He has really taken a step forward this year on the mound and has the team's full confidence every time he goes out there. He knows what it means to be a pitcher and works the batters as well as anyone on our staff."

Betancourt struck out six and didn't walk a batter in his three innings, and Faiman struck out two of the three batters he faced.

Dodridge's three-run home run in the second inning put the game out of reach at 7-0; he finished with five RBIs. Faiman added two triples and six RBIs while Betancourt had two hits and Kelvin Page walked three times and scored four runs.

The Falcons (11-3) return to league play at home against Tawas on Monday and travel to a first-place showdown with John Glenn in Bay City on Thursday, May 10.

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Falcon notes: With his two triples against Gaylord, Matt Faiman now tops the Ogemaw Heights career total with nine, and also holds team records for career RBIs (118) and stolen bases (92).

Ogemaw coach Jeremiah Peace also added that Kyle Wangler will be playing both baseball and football at Alma next year.