Sheet Metal Workers Local 7 claimed the 59th annual Bay County Little League Championship.
BAY CITY, MI – Six games into the season, Nate Volk’s team didn’t look like champions in the making.
But six games does not a season make.
With a willingness to change, adjust and adapt, the Sheet Metal Workers Local 7 squad underwent a major makeover that altered everything. And suddenly a team that was once 3-3 had the look of a champion after all.
Putting their adaptability on full display, the Bay City Southwest champion delivered an eye-popping 20-14 victory over Anderson Pharmacy of Bay City Northwest to repeat as champion at the 59th annual Bay County Little League Championship.
“We started the season 3-3 and couldn’t catch a bus that was standing still for an hour. Our defense was that bad,” said Volk, the veteran SWLL manager. “So we went back to the drawing board, changed some positions around and started to gel.
“I go to the kids and say ‘This is what I’m thinking.’ If they put up resistance, I usually go with what they’re thinking. But it helps when they’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking.”
Coaches and players were on the same page after the slow start, rattling off 17 wins over the next 20 games. Sheet Metal emerged as Southwest champion, earning a chance to defend its Bay County crown.
But in the opening round of pool play, they ran into a tough Anderson Pharmacy squad and suffered a 3-2 setback. Fast forward five days and a rematch was in the works, with the winner claiming all the marbles in the tradition-rich tournament that features the top two teams from Bay County’s four Little League baseball programs.
Again, Sheet Metal adjusted, adapted and changed the outcome.
“Both teams took a lot of quality swings,” Volk said. “I thought the pitching was good, but the swings were a lot better today. Both teams were a lot more aggressive.
“All of a sudden, we went from no familiarly with each other to a lot of familiarity -- just from playing one game.”
After plating just five combined runs in the first meeting, they erupted for 34 runs in a head-spinning rematch. The 34 runs is the most scored in the Bay County Championship final since at least 2000, surpassing last year’s total of 20.
Anderson Pharmacy got the early jump, building a 6-2 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning. But that’s where things got a little crazy.
Sheet Metal erupted for a nine-run third to take an 11-6 lead, saw Anderson plate six in the fourth to retake a 12-11 advantage, then came back with yet another nine-run explosion in the fifth to finally take control.
“They didn’t let what happened on Monday become their reality again today,” Volk said. “It takes a certain amount of mental fortitude to do that.”
And a certain amount of hitting.
Bay County Little League Championship 2022 continues
Both sides slugged the ball around the Southwest ballpark in a thrill-a-minute showdown. Joe Rivet provided the biggest blow for Sheet Metal, launching a three-run home run among his three hits. Chase Hockman, Mason Zatkovic and Elle Wilkinson all added three hits apiece in the win.
Jayden Perkins tallied two hits while Evan Richard, Jace Melick and Kobe Andrus all contributed one for Sheet Metal.
Anderson Pharmacy finished second in the league at Northwest but nearly pulled off the Bay County crown. The DeFoe Park crew brought their bats to Kolb Field, cranking out 11 hits in the contest.
Maddix Rahn blasted a three-run home run and joined Colton Burch with two hits. Caleb Cox rapped three hits on the night while Kyle Howard, Collin Greer, Landon Cooley and Ayden Schomaker added one apiece.
Sheet Metal is the eighth team to repeat as Bay County champion. Northwest’s Peak Performance Baseball (2011-13) and Essexville-Hampton’s Buzz ‘n’ Blades (2014-16) are the only teams to threepeat in the 59-year history of the event.
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