St. Mary's Tops Off Tourney Run with Title, Record-Tying Win

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

June 19, 2021

EAST LANSING – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s senior Tommy Allman stole the show on the mound in Saturday’s Division 2 Final.  

His talented teammates did the same on the base paths.

Allman pitched six solid innings, and the Eaglets set a new Finals record for stolen bases in a decisive 9-0 win over Stevensville Lakeshore at Michigan State’s McLane Stadium.

Top-ranked St. Mary’s (43-1) won its second Division 2 championship in a row and the program’s fifth Finals title overall. The 43 wins tied for the MHSAA record with four other teams: 2010 Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, 1997 Midland Dow, 1995 Stevensville Lakeshore and 1985 Harper Woods Bishop Gallagher.

“It was a good outing, and I was dialed in,” said Allman, who’s headed next to Jacksonville University. “I trusted my team behind me, and everything was working; the off-speed, curveball and slider.

“This is the best way to end it, with a state championship. The whole year we battled, and we pulled it off. I’m proud of my team.”

Allman surrendered only two hits in 6 1/3 innings of work. He struck out seven and didn’t allow a walk.

Relief pitcher Jake Keaser recorded the final two outs.

Orchard Lake St. Mary's baseball“It was a heck of a performance from Tommy; that was awesome,” St. Mary’s coach Matt Petry said. “The plan was to split the game among three guys, but Tommy was throwing so well that we didn’t do that. I made the decision to take him out (in the seventh), and he got a great ovation.”

The Eaglets finished with 12 stolen bases. The total eclipsed the previous Finals record of nine, set by Colon in the 1989 Class D Final against Gaylord St. Mary’s.

Alex Mooney and Ryan Mooney both tied the Finals individual record with three steals each.

“We work out all year trying to stay athletic, and I feel like it really helps,” said Alex Mooney, who scored twice and had two RBI. 

“From the first inning we knew we were getting good jumps and their pitchers were not doing the best job of keeping us on. We got our timing down, and we knew we could swipe bags and we did.” 

Nolan Schubart broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a two-RBI double.

“Nolan is a stud, and I had all the confidence in the world that he was going to get a hit there,” Alex Mooney said. “It was a huge hit for us, and it really got us going and started that big inning for us.”

Ryan McKay followed with another double to drive in a pair and make it 4-0.

The Eaglets finished with six runs in the inning, then added another three in the sixth.

“This was the ultimate goal,” said Petry, whose starting lineup was loaded with Division I college talent.

“We have three goals each season: Win the Catholic League regular season, the Catholic League tournament championship and the state championship. We always had this day in the back of our mind, and we were able to close it out.”

Freshman Noah Chase started on the mound and went 3 innings for the Lancers.

Lakeshore, which committed three errors and had only two hits, finished the season at 28-12 overall. The loss was its first in a Final after winning back-to-back Division 2 titles in 2017 and 2018 and a Class B crown in 1990.  

“Going into the fourth, we felt really good about ourselves and the game plan was working,” Lancers coach Mark Nate said. “I’m proud of our kids for the way they fought early, and then their true talent came out and that's the bottom line.

“That team is a very, very good baseball team, and they’re deserving of winning it all.”

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS: (Top) Orchard Lake St. Mary's Alex Mooney (2) hones in on a pitch during Saturday's Division 2 Final. (Middle) Lakeshore's Andrew Lies (2) stretches for first base as St. Mary's Ike Irish takes a throw.

Performance of the Week: Orchard Lake St. Mary's Brock Porter

June 1, 2022

Orchard Lake St. Mary's baseballBrock Porter ♦ Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Baseball ♦ Senior

One of Michigan’s most highly-regarded baseball talents in years, Porter continued his dominating senior season May 20 with his fourth no-hitter of the spring – this time in a 4-0 win over Detroit Catholic Central in the Catholic High School League Bishop semifinals at Comerica Park. He struck out 16 hitters, upping his season total to 87 with only 17 walks over 42 innings. He’s 6-0 and has allowed only one earned run – and three total – this season.

Porter grew up playing baseball and football, and downhill ski racing, before turning his full athletic attention to the diamond. He has signed to continue his baseball career at Clemson University, and he also is expected to be a first-round selection in July’s Major League Baseball draft. Porter threw a 12-strikeout six-hitter in last season’s Semifinal against New Boston Huron as the Eaglets went on to win the Division 2 championship, and St. Mary’s is up to 37-0 this season and has won 59 straight games. Porter also is a member of the MHSAA Student Advisory Council.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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2021-22 Honorees

May 20: Brady Schultz, Menominee track & field - Report
May 13:
Robert Burns, Flint Powers Catholic golf - Report
May 6:
Bo Lockwood, Hartland lacrosse - Report
April 28:
Nonah Waldron, Oak Park track & field - Report
April 21:
Theryn Hallock, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central soccer - Report
April 14: 
Kaitlyn Pallozzi, Farmington Hills Mercy softball - Report
April 7:
Mason Docks, Williamston basketball - Report
March 24:
Mya Petticord, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep basketball - Report
March 16:
Charley Bayer, East Grand Rapids diving - Report
March 9:
Ja'Marcus Smith, Detroit Mumford wrestling - Report
March 2:
David Schaberg, Holt bowling - Report
Feb. 24:
Adelaide McRoberts, Kingsford swimming - Report
Feb. 17:
Christopher Kavanaugh, Petoskey hockey - Report
Feb. 10:
Ira Jenkins, Whitehall wrestling - Report

Feb. 3: Emma Stewart, Salem gymnastics - Report
Jan. 28:
Tyler Ray, Pinckney swimming - Report
Jan. 21:
Elle Craven, Traverse City Central skiing - Report
Jan. 14:
Nevaeh Williams, Mount Clemens basketball - Report
Dec. 2:
Lucas Dunn, Chelsea football - Report
Nov. 25:
Riley Nugent, Plainwell swimming - Report
Nov. 18:
Harper Murray, Ann Arbor Skyline volleyball - Report
Nov. 11:
Abby VanderKooi, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian cross country - Report
Nov. 4:
Arianne Olson, Holland West Ottawa cross country - Report
Oct. 28:
Jack Guggemos, Okemos soccer - Report
Oct. 21:
Sachiv Kumar, Northville tennis - Report
Oct. 14:
Kate Brody, Grand Blanc golf - Report
Oct. 7:
Lilly Nelson, Negaunee tennis - Report
Sept. 30:
Stella Chapman, Ann Arbor Pioneer swimming - Report
Sept. 23:
Riley Hough, Hartland cross country - Report
Sept. 16:
Josie Bloom, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Report

(Photos courtesy of the Porter family.)