Chiefs outlast Lions in 9-inning thriller

BY ED WRIGHT
May 17, 2010, 10:25 p.m.

  Canton's baseball team threw a pretty potent freshman/senior pitching combination out on the mound Monday afternoon against South Lyon.

  And it's a good thing Michael Stafford (freshman) and Kevin Delapaz (senior) had their A games considering the Chiefs' bats were unusually quiet against the Lions' hurlers.

  Canton improved to 20-4 with a heart-pounding 1-0 victory in its final game prior to Wednesday's KLAA Kensington Conference championship game against Northville.

  Stafford was lights out in his first varsity start, no-hitting the Lions for six innings before yielding a lead-off single in he top of the seventh. The ninth-grader struck out seven.

  "Michael was definitely impressive for his first varsity start," said Canton coach Mark Blomshield. "We needed him to step up like he did, too, because we have a lot of games this week."

  Delapaz relieved Stafford in the top of the seventh. With a runner on second and one out, the Lions nearly plated the go-ahead run, but the base-runner -- who would have scored in Blomshield's estimation -- slipped while rounding third and had to scamper back to the base.

  Delapaz then promptly struck out the next two batters.

  Delapaz starred at the plate, too, for the Chiefs, as he doubled in Mark Main with the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Main had walked and stole second before Chris Perkovich walked.

  Canton outhit South Lyon, 6-3.

  The Chiefs will host Northville Wednesday at 4 p.m. A victory would propel them into the KLAA Association title game on May 26 against the winner of Wednesday's Brighton-Walled Lake Central contest.

CHIEFS SPLIT WITH LUMEN CHRISTI

  On Saturday, Canton split a home double-header against Division 3 power Jackson Lumen Christi.

  Canton rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to win the first game, 6-4. Ryan Bazner earned the mound win, scattering six hits over six innings. Andrew Tidwell picked up his sixth save with a perfect seventh inning.

  Trailing 2-0 in the second, the Chiefs posted a four-spot thanks to  clutch hits from Perkovich, Delapaz and Seth Tschetter.

  With the game knotted at 4-4, Main ripped a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth.

  Main has been a steady all-around contributor for the Chiefs this season, Blomshield said.

  "He's very good defensively and he's been hitting the ball, too," said the Chiefs' head coach.

  Canton dropped the nightcap, 6-0. The lone bright spot for the Chiefs was the pitching of starter Ben Staley, who shut out Lumen Christi through the first five innings.

  "We had the prom Friday night, so we were a little flat," said Blomshield. "But that's to take nothing away from Lumen Christi. They have an outstanding program."