The Reeths-Puffer baseball team wasn't going to let a little inactivity steal its thunder this time around.
Earlier in the season, the Rockets went a full three weeks without playing a game, due to spring break, weather and cancellations. It affected them on the field, and they had a hard time getting regrouped when the season started rolling again.
This time it wasn't quite so bad. After ending a losing streak with a pair of nice wins last Saturday, R-P lost the chance to play five scheduled games this week because one opponent cancelled the rest of its season, and rain washed out a doubleheader.
R-P's Cade Paugh slides across home plate. Photo/Jeremy Clark
But none of that cooled off the Rockets, who pulled off an impressive 8-5 upset of state-ranked Coopersville on Thursday night at Muskegon's Marsh Field.
The Broncos came into the game ranked 13th in the state in Division 2 with a 21-4 record.
Reeths-Puffer is now 7-12 on the season. The Rockets won their third straight game, after beating Zeeland West and Zeeland East on Saturday.
They are finally playing the way they knew they could play, and it's happening at the right time, with the Division 1 district tournament scheduled for a week from Saturday.
Paugh dives to make a great catch in the outfield. Photo/Jeremy Clark
"We're getting healthy at the right time, and we showed up!" said R-P head coach Butch Attig. "I think Saturday was the best day we've put together, but overall Thursday was the best game, in terms of picking each other up and playing well defensively. Our overall approach at the plate was better.
"It was about senior leadership and understanding the big picture at the end. The season hasn't gone the way we wanted, but we can't erase that. We had a good Saturday when we started to play better, and now we're embracing that."
The Rockets took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Jack Yonkman singled home Cade Paugh.
R-P's Jack Yonkman gets his bat on the ball. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Coopersville tied the game 1-1 in the third, then the Rockets took control with four runs in the fourth.
Colton Bessinger knocked in Holden Earnest, Quinn Alderink plated Drew Brooks with an RBI groundout, Bessinger scored on a wild pitch and Paugh singled in Jayden Wiseman.
Lukas Johnson, Connor McManus and Holden Earnest singled in the fifth inning, then a run scored when Ethan Frang grounded out.
R-P's scored in the sixth inning when Wiseman walked and came home on a double by Johnson, then Johnson scored on an error.
R-P's Drew Brooks, who was the winning pitcher. Photo/Jeremy Clark
At the plate, Johnson led the Rockets with three hits - a double and two singles. Paugh and Earnest each collected two hits while Yonkman and McManus each had one.
"Lukas Johnson has been struggling all year," Coach Attig said. "We knew he would come around, and he's finally barreling some balls."
Drew Brooks got the win on the mound, allowing three hits and one run with two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Bryden Mitchelson and Bessinger pitched in relief.
"The pitching was there, and defensively Holden had a really nice game and Cade made some really nice catches in the outfield," Attig said. "We played a really good game against a really good team, and it's always fun at Marsh."