Canton's baseball team wins
first Division title since 2003

BY ED WRIGHT
May 13, 2010, 7:15 a.m.

  Canton's Big Red Machine kept cranking out W's Wednesday afternoon.

  Of the 18 wins in 21 games the Chiefs have chalked up thus far in their most successful season in decades, none was bigger than their 2-0 victory over Livonia Churchill in the first game of a KLAA South Division double-header.

  With the triumph, Canton, the No. 5-ranked team in Division 1, clinched its first division title since 2003. Canton's 3-2 victory in game two stretched its South lead over the runner-up Chargers to five games.

  On a cold, damp day when hits were hard to come by, senior pitcher Kevin Delapaz stepped up big time, shutting out Churchill over six innings. Delapaz struck out eight before giving way to Andrew Tidwell, who picked up his fifth save of the season with a perfect seventh.

  The Chiefs scored the only run they would need in the fourth inning when Garrett Bryden continued his torrid hitting by doubling in a run.

  Canton added an insurance marker in the sixth when Ben Staley's RBI single plated pinch-runner Angelo Lanava.

  "Kevin was snapping it up there really good," said Canton coach Mark Blomshield. "He threw a lot of strikes. Churchill has a scrappy young team.

  "It's exciting to win the division, especially because it puts us in the playoffs for the KLAA Association championship."

  Tidwell improved to 6-0 by picking up the win in relief in the nightcap. The senior sub-mariner struck out two in 2.2 innings, lowering his earned run average to the 0.60 neighborhood.

  Starting pitcher Ben Staley, freshman Michael Stafford and Tidwell limited the Chargers to just three hits.

  Canton broke a 2-all tie in the sixth when Bryden reached on a fielder's choice, was moved around to third and scored on a wild pitch.

  Cody Blakita and Seth Tschetter also delivered run-scoring hits for the Chiefs.

  Canton will take on the Central Division winner -- either Novi, Northville or Livonia Stevenson -- Wednesday at home. The winner will advance to the KLAA Association title game against the winner of Wednesday's Brighton-Lakeland contest.

  Ed Wright can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.