**CANTON 11 STEVENSON 1**

Bernabie Salinas smoothly scoops up a ground ball during Canton's 13-3 victory over Plymouth Saturday morning (photo courtesy of PlymouthPictures.com)

Canton wins third straight District title by plating 24 runs in two games

BY ED WRIGHT
June 6, 2010, 9:45 a.m.

  The first Saturday in June has unofficially become "Hardware Day" at Canton High School.

  Fueled by some hard tools (aluminum bats) along with a soft weapon (pitcher Kevin Delapaz's nasty change-up), the Chiefs earned their third straight Division 1 District title -- and the priceless hardware that comes with it -- by thrashing Livonia Stevenson, 11-1, in Saturday afternoon's championship tilt.

  Canton will continue its quest for a state title on Saturday when it squares off against Novi at 10 a.m. at Novi High School.

  A victory would propel the Chiefs into the Regional title game against the winner of the noon contest between Walled Lake Central and Birmingham Brother Rice, the team that has derailed Canton in the past two Regional tournaments.

  Although Canton piled up Division, Conference and Association championships the past two weeks, Chiefs head coach Mark Blomshield repeatedly revealed concerns about one aspect of his team's game that it needed to amp up during the post-season.

  "We need to start swinging the bats better," Blomshield said more than once in the days leading up to Saturday's District tournament.

  After scoring 24 runs in two games, you can erase that issue off the Chiefs' bulletin board.

  At the same time, a new dilemma has been created: how to fit all the new trophies into the already-jam-packed Phase III case.

  During Saturday morning's semifinal against Plymouth, it was the Wildcats who were swinging the potent metal early as they raced to a 3-0 lead after two innings.

  Freshman Jamarl Eiland ignited the 'Cats' first-inning two-run uprising with a double. Eiland eventually scored on back-to-back ground outs, the second of which earned Mike Nadratowski an RBI.

  With two outs, Matt Priebe singled off Canton starter Andrew Tidwell. Back-to-back hits from Phil Emminger and Harrison Michels' plated Priebe to up the visitors lead to 2-0.

  Plymouth starting pitcher Michels yielded a two-out single to Seth Tschetter, but that was it in the first.

  The Wildcats padded their cushion to 3-0 in the second when they loaded the bases on back-to-back singles by Zach Yokom and Eiland, and a walk to Rich Guglielmi. Nadratowski then registered his second RBI with sacrifice fly to left, scoring Yokom.

  Plymouth's lead would be short-lived.

  Canton posted four-run frames in the second and third before putting a five-spot on the board in the fifth to win going away.

  The offensive surge started when Joe Galanty was hit by a pitch leading off the second. Following a strikeout, Garrett Bryden singled. It appeared Michels may get out of the inning unscathed after striking out Chris Perkovich, but Tidwell kept the inning alive with an RBI double.

  Delapaz, Bernabie Salinas and Seth Tschetter all followed suit, delivering two-out, run-scoring singles to give Canton a 4-3 advantage. The Chiefs would not trail the remainder of the day.

  Canton added a four-run, two-out rally in the third as well, thanks to clutch hits from Perkovich, Tidwell, Delapaz and Tschetter.

  The Chiefs' 17-hit attack was sparked by Tschetter (4-for-4), Tidwell (3-for-4) and Delapaz (3-for-4).

  Tidwell earned the win with four innings of work. The senior side-winder retired seven of the final eight batters he faced before giving way to Ryan Bazner in the fifth.

  Bazner yielded a lead-off single to Guglielmi in the fifth, but quickly got out of the potential jam by getting Nadratowski to fly out to left before Priebe hit into an inning-ending double play.

  The game marked the final high school appearance for Priebe, who ended his career as the team's all-time home run king.

  Delapaz was nothing short of spectacular in the District championship game, no-hitting the Spartans through five innings.

  Galanty gave the senior southpaw all the offensive support he would need in the second inning when he launched a solo home run off Stevenson ace Jeff Sorenson.

  Canton doubled its lead in the fourth when Tidwell singled and scored from first on Bazner's double.

  Delapaz gave up just one hit over six innings to the state-ranked Spartans, striking out seven.

  The Chiefs put the game away in the sixth when they pushed nine runs across. The big blows were a laser-like home run over the right-field fence by Bryden, a two run double by Perkovich, a two-run single by Tschetter and run-scoring singles off the bats of Cody Blakita and Joe Galanty.

 

Plymouth's Zack Yokom elevates for a high throw as Joe Galanty slides safely into third base during the District semifinal contest. (photo courtesy of PlymouthPictures.com)

Andrew Tidwell earned the win for the Chiefs in their 13-3 semifinal triumph over Plymouth. (photo courtesy of PlymouthPictures.com)

Plymouth's Jimmy May makes a nice stop on a hard-hit ball Saturday morning. (photo courtesy of PlymouthPictures.com)

Canton's Kevin Delapaz eludes the tag of Plymouth catcher Rich Guglielmi in Saturday's semifinal game. (Ed Wright photo)

Canton's Garrett Bryden roped a home run in the District title game against Livonia Stevenson. (Ed Wright photo)