By DOUG DONNELLY

(Published in The Blade)

DETROIT – It’s called a foul pole, but hitting it means a fair ball.

Whiteford senior Patrina Marsh slugged a two-run homerun on Wednesday on ball that hit the foul pole to stay fair as the Bobcats beat Algonac 5-3 to advance to the Division 3 semifinals Friday at Michigan State University.

“I had a great view of it,” said Matt VanBrandt, Whiteford’s head coach who coaches third base when the Bobcats are at bat. “I thought it was going to be fair by three feet, then of course it hit the foul pole. It added a little more drama, I guess. It gave Patrina a great memory, for sure.”

There was plenty of drama and memories made by the 36-4 Bobcats against Algonac.

The Muskrats scratched out five hits and three runs and had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning when Whiteford’s Unity Nelson struck out her 17th hitter of the game to close out the victory.

“She’s such a competitor,” VanBrandt said. “You just aren’t surprised anymore when she does great things. She puts in so much work all year-round. She earns all of it. It’s not luck.”

Whiteford put two runners on in the first inning but couldn’t score. They broke a scoreless game with three runs in the third inning. Ali VanBrandt singled with one out, stole second and scored on a bunt by Shay Alexander that the Muskrats mishandled. With Alexander on base, Marsh came to the plate. With a two-strike count, she fouled off two pitches, then hit a shot down the left field line. She thought it was another foul ball.

“I thought he (the umpire) was going to call me back to the plate,” she said. “I saw it hit the pole. I thought hitting the pole was a foul ball, but it wasn’t.

“It’s nice to hit every home run I hit. They always feel incredible. Today’s home run, I think, really shaped our win today. It helped me and our team. It gave us a lot of momentum.”

VanBrandt said Marsh is a good two-strike hitter.

“She doesn’t give up,” he said. “She’s a fierce competitor. When she has two strikes on her, she battles.”

Algonac starting pitcher Kenna Bommarito got one run back in the bottom of the third with a double to make it 3-1.

Ella Stephenson doubled for the Muskrats and came around to score on an error to make it 3-2.

Whiteford’s Kaydence Sheldon led off the sixth inning with a solo home run, then the Bobcats scratched out another run when Marsh scored on a sacrifice bunt by Karlei Conard to make it 5-2.

Algonac scored a run in the sixth on a single by Ainsley Trombley. Algonac had runners on second and third when Nelson got out of the inning with a strikeout.

In the seventh, Algonac was down to its final three outs and loaded the bases on two singles and a walk but Nelson got Stephenson to swing and miss, then struck out the game’s final hitter on three pitches to end the game. Algonac finishes the season 35-5.

“We couldn’t be two more evenly matched teams,” VanBrandt said. “Both teams just did a great job battling.”

Marsh said one of the keys to the game was the Bobcats had faced Bommarito before. Whiteford and Algonac played earlier this season and the Bobcats lost 4-0 against the Muskrats No. 1 hurler in a weekend tournament. Nelson did not pitch in that game.

“Moving up to Division 3 this year, no one really knew about us,” she said. “We weren’t ranked all year. I think that team accidentally pitched their No. 1 against us in that tournament and that helped us an incredible amount. You could tell because as soon as she knew we were catching on, she kind of slowed down. Everyone on our team can hit.”

The Bobcats have been a powerhouse in Division 4 for years, even reaching the state finals last season, but moved up a division this year. They play at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Michigan State University against Laingsburg.

“We are extremely excited to go back to MSU,” Marsh said.