Most Reeths-Puffer fans know Jaxson Whitaker from his accomplishments on the basketball court, but he’s a pretty good baseball player, too.
Whitaker demonstrated that again on Tuesday in the Rockets’ doubleheader sweep of Grand Rapids Union at home in O-K Green conference action.
He started Game 1 on the mound and struck out nine with no walks in four innings, leading the Rockets to an 8-0 victory.
Quinn Alderink pitched the final three innings, striking out four, while David Wilhelm led the R-P offense with two hits.
R-P's Jaxson Whitaker, who struck out nine GR Union batters in Game 1.
Whitaker was strong at the plate in Game 2, contributing a pair of hits in R-P’s 12-2 victory.
Trent Reichert was the top hitter with three hits while pitchers Kyle Schlaff, Caiden Theisen, Jack Yonkman and Whitaker combined to hold Union to a pair of runs.
Reeths-Puffer improved to 9-0 on the season, with a 5-0 conference record, but Coach Butch Attig is not getting carried away with the team’s strong start.
“I’m proud of our start, but we know what our goals are and what we have to do to achieve them,” Attig said. “We cannot get fixated on our record. We need to focus on playing fundamentally sound, team-first baseball.”
