Pinconning catcher Ryan Kleinhans holds on as he tags out Ogemaw Heights' Jake Wangler at home plate during the Spartans' win over the Falcons in the second game of a doubleheader Monday.
Falcon shortstop Blaine Powley throws out a Pinny baserunner.
Brent Baker
Pinny's Coty Swinson charges in to make a play against Ogemaw late in Monday's doubleheader split.

PINCONNING - Apr. 21, 2008 - Neither team got what it wanted, but both got what they needed Monday as Ogemaw Heights and Pinconning split a key North East Michigan Conference doubleheader.

The Falcons rode the arm and bat of Rick Dodridge to a 4-1 victory in the first game, while Pinny came back to win the nightcap 10-6 in a must-win game for the Spartans.

"Coming in, we didn't want a split," said Ogemaw coach Jeremiah Peace. "But Pinny plays good defense and is a very solid team, so its something we can live with. We just need to get down to work against everyone else."

Pinny coach Jeff Sanak expressed a similar sentiment.

"We can live with a split," he said. "We wanted two. But in the end, if 10-2 isn't good enough (to win the NEMC title), then life goes on.

"We have a tough one at Tawas next week; they've got some kids who can hit, so we have to be ready."

Dodridge outduelled Pinny sophomore Casey Pashak in the opener, though Pashak pitched well in defeat. Dodridge allowed three hits and two walks and struck out 15 batters. He also put the Falcons in front right away with a two-run first-inning home run that proved to be all the runs Ogemaw needed.

Neither team mounted much of an offensive threat against the other pitcher -- Pashak went on to strike out 10 while walking just a couple -- until the seventh inning. Blaine Powley, Mike Noffsinger and Anthony Betancourt all singled, and thrown in with a Pinny error, got another two runs to pad their lead.

The Spartans made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate before going down.

"The biggest thing was that after Saturday (when the Falcons committed 14 errors and lost three games at Mt. Pleasant), we answered the bell.

"Pashak's really tough. He changes speeds and has great control. We came out strong, but I was also proud we got another two runs in the seventh. We can't count on scoring two runs and winning just because Rick is pitching."

The tables were turned in the second game as the Spartans scored five runs in the second inning and went on to take a 10-6 victory.

The five-run inning was keyed by four walks in the inning by Betancourt, but Peace stayed with his senior pitcher, who kept his composure and kept the Falcons close.

"Anthony needs the whole plate, but he didn't have it tonight," Peace said. "But what are you going to do? I thought he pitched a good game. He's always been a composed, mature kid.

"We made some baserunning errors tonight that we just can't make. That as much as anything may have cost us a chance to tie the game."

The Spartans led 7-1, but Ogemaw got back in the game in the fifth with four runs, all of which came on our after Lucas Foco stretched to take a throw from shortstop and was ruled to have come off the bag, a call the Spartans were less than pleased with.

It didn't help that the Falcons' Aaron Kihn, the next batter, drilled a two-run double to the fence and later scored.

"That was a tough one," Sanak said. "But I can't complain too much. We got plenty of calls on balls and strikes, so it probably evened out."

The Spartans also managed to mitigate the damage by throwing out Jake Wangler at the plate to end the inning, or the Falcons would have had one more run, a runner on second and the tying run at the plate.

Instead, Pinny got a two-run single from Dakota Grappin that keyed a three-run fifth and put Pinny back in command.

"That was key," Peace said. "It's a mental thing. But those are the kinds of things that happen with a lot of new players."

Steve Moore earned the victory for Pinny, allowing one earned run on seven hits, walking two and striking out two.

The Falcons (7-4, 3-1 NEMC) play a pair of non-conference doubleheaders Tuesday and Wednesday, then host Oscoda in a rain-out make-up on Thursday, April 24. The loss snapped a 16-game league win streak.

Pinny (7-6, 4-2) is at Tawas on April 28.