Opposites attract.
At least for Richmond’s baseball team.
Richmond’s Joe Parenillo is congratulated at home after landing a home run in the third inning of a Division 3 regional semi-final against Royal Oak Shrine on Wednesday. It was one of three inning home runs for the Blue Devils.
Joe Parenillo hit a home run in the opposite field and his right-handed batter Hudson Davenport followed up with another home run to the right before Mitch Dobbelaer added a two-run homer during a four-run rally in the third inning, giving Richmond a 8-5 – Victory over Royal Oak Shrine in a Division 3 regional semi-final at Lutheran Northwest on Wednesday.
“It just happened,” said Davenport. “He started the inning and I continued it. It feels good.”
The Blue Devils’ catcher, Parenillo, said he had no plans to hit the ball in the opposite direction.
“I was just trying to get something to handle,” he said.
The three home runs helped Richmond build a 7-0 lead.
“It was huge,” said Davenport.
Davenport pitched the last two innings, allowing one run and three hits.
Shrine fought his way back after trailing 8-0 in the bottom of the fifth.
The Knights loaded the bases with no outs and made four runs across the plate.
Kevin Wright’s double and one mistake helped Shrine reduce Richmond’s lead to 8-5 in game six, but that was as close as the Knights could get against Davenport, the third Blue Devils pitcher.
“They are a very good team,” said Shrine trainer Dan Noble. “They bring quality together in bats.”
Noble wasn’t surprised that his team rallied.
“This is this team – they are a bunch of fighters,” said Noble. “We’re not the most talented group out there. We’re just a bunch of guys who love to play baseball and work hard. “
Richmond will play Hemlock in a regional final at Saginaw Valley State on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
The winner will play in a state quarter-finals later that afternoon.
Richmond’s Mitch Dobbelaer approaches home plate after scoring a home run against Royal Oak Shrine in the third inning.