Picture credit to Dan Gawkowksi

MUSKEGON, Michigan - The Muskegon Clippers earn its first ever playoff win with a 4-0 shutout victory at home over the Michigan Monarchs.

The Clippers, who were 0-5 in its previous playoff game attempts, force a third an deciding game in the best-of-three semi-final round series.

Will DeMasse (Wayne State University) scattered five hits in six innings of work earning the victory. DeMasse struck out three batters while not allowing a walk. The win was DeMasse's fifth winning decision of the season as he was 4-1 during the regular season.

Two costly Monarchs errors in the fourth inning led to the first Clippers run. Sam Clay (Davenport University) reached on an error by the Michigan shortstop. He advanced two bases to third base on an errant pickoff attempt. Clay scored on an RBI-ground out by Q Phillips (Wisconsin-Milwaukee).

Later in the inning, Ethan Baird (Menlo College transfer) walked and was standing on first base when Austin Cicerone (Saginaw Valley State) came to the plate. 

Cicerone hit a ball to left field that was tailing away Michigan’s Liam Pollack (Oakland University). Pollack ran a long way to his right just to get to the ball making a running attempt at the catch. The ball popped out of his glove as he tumbled to the ground. Baird lumbered home all the way from first base beating the throw home on what turned out to be an RBI-double for Cicerone.

Baird would put the game out of reach with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning. Baird was a part of all four Clippers runs. He drove in two RBIs and scored the other two runs.

Dylan Kaminski (Michigan State) pitched a perfect ninth inning notching two strikeouts closing out the victory for the Clippers.

Michigan were held to just six hits on the night. Ty Garza (Wayne State University) was 2-for-4 at the plate for the Monarchs. 

The Clippers actually had one less hit than the Monarchs but took advantage of four Michigan errors. 

Justin Osterhouse (Purdue Fort Wayne) recorded two of those five Muskegon hits in the game for the Clippers.

The series comes to a conclusion on Sunday afternoon as the Clippers host the Monarchs at Marsh Field with a 4:05pm first pitch. 

The winner will move on to the GLSCL Championship Series hosting the number one overall seed Hamilton Joes on Monday night.

ABOUT THE GREAT LAKES SUMMER COLLEGIATE LEAGUE 

The Great Lakes Summer Collegiate, founded in 1987, is a wood-bat league that is certified by the NCAA and is partially funded by Major League Baseball. The GLSCL is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity that is one of 12 members of the National Alliance of Collegiate Summer Baseball (NACSB). The league currently consists of 7 active franchises in Ohio and Michigan boasting several players that have earned service time in major league baseball.