By DOUG DONNELLY

OTTAWA LAKE – Whiteford needed someone to step up Saturday.

In the end, it was almost everybody.

Luke Rasor came in relief and did a masterful job pitching. Nate Stevens returned from an injury and had a single the seventh inning to ignite a comeback. Jake Giesige hit a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. And, freshman Zayne Emch hit a single up the middle to complete a three-run seventh for the Bobcats and help them comeback from a 4-0 deficit and beat Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 6-5 in the Division 3 district final.

“These guys have battled all year,” Whiteford coach Terry Pant said. “We’ve been down before, but the kids just stay in the game. Our freshmen are not intimidated. They go to the plate confidently. Zayne shortened up his swing on that last pitch and got a hit.

“Sometimes we don’t start very fast, but they don’t get too far down, and they stay with it.”

After an intense 2-0 win over Blissfield in the first game of the day, the Bobcats lacked some enthusiasm in the early stages of the district final. In the first inning, SMCC used a hit batsman, passed ball and an outfield error, plus a double by Tommy Rogoff, to take a 2-0 lead. Calvin Bradley contributed an RBI single in the second to make it 4-0 SMCC and forced the Bobcats to their bullpen.

Rasor, who was the Bobcat catcher in the opener and started at third base in the finals, came to the hill and shut out SMCC over the next four innings and changed the course of the game.

“They brought the third baseman in to pitch, and he shut us down,” SMCC coach Zach Parran said. “Hat’s off to him. He was the game changer. He did a good job.”

Rasor said he hoped to calm things down when he came in.

“It’s hard to come in that situation, but I trust my defense,” Rasor said. “The way I pitch, I put a lot of balls in play. I trust the defense behind me. If they make an error, I just told my guys just worry about the next play.”

While he was shutting down SMCC, the Bobcat offense started showing some life. They made it 4-3 in the sixth, but SMCC manufactured an unearned run in the top of the seventh to go up 5-3.

The Bobcats had their last chance at bat in the seventh, down two. Logan Tammerine – the team’s top hitter – led off with a hard bouncer that turned into an out. It would be the Bobcats last out of the day.

Stevens singled to right and Rasor singled to center to put runners on the corners. On the third pitch to Jake Giesige, Rasor took off for second and made it easily when the ball hit the dirt at home plate. Two pitches later, Giesige singled sharply to center, tying the game.

Rylan Joerin came in to run for Giesige. He advanced to second when a pickoff attempt to first base sailed into right field. With a 2-2 count, Emch singled to right, scoring Joerin and ending the game.

“I was just going up there wanting to get a hit,” Emch said. “That’s all. I did it.”

SMCC left disappointed. They finished the season 17-16-1. They beat Erie Mason 14-2 in the semifinal.

“That’s baseball,” Parran said. ““Whiteford seemed out of it, it was 4-0, hot day, then they came back. Our boys played tough. We had some unfortunate injuries this season. The kids battled hard though. It stings, but we’ll be back next year.

“Our seniors really stepped up. Aiden Burrous, Tommy Rogoff, Braden Puckett, and Calvin Bradley. They were big for us with leadership.”

Whiteford reached the finals by beating Blissfield in the first game. Tammerine pitched a great game, striking out 11 in 5.1 innings. Brendon Masters came in relief in the sixth inning when Tammerine reached his pitch count and got Blissfield’s No. 3 and No. 4 hitters out. The Royals loaded the bases in the seventh, but a flyball that Emch caught in left field ended the game.

“This is a big one,” Pant said. “We had to teach some guys new positions this week and moved some people around. We did what we had to do. It was a very good day.”

The Bobcats (21-10) will host Wednesday’s regional semifinal game against 20-13 Ann Arbor Greenhills.