Thursday’s preps: Stevenson topples Utica Ford

Looking to get back on track after a slow start, Sterling Heights Stevenson was firing on all cylinders Thursday, picking up an 11-1 victory in five innings over Utica Ford in its first MAC Red baseball game of the season.

Mark Kattula went 3-for-3 and Trevor Hulvey went 2-for-3 with both picking up two RBIs.

Stevenson (2-2) picked up 12 hits and performed well in every aspect offensively, much to the delight of head coach Joe Emanuele.

“Everybody had productive at-bats in the lineup,” Emanuele said. “Obviously we want to hit through the lineup and that doesn’t always happen in high school, but we swung well today, had productive at-bats, and ran the bases well.”

All-state pitcher and Central University commit Garrett Navarra shut down Ford (2-3) with seven strikeouts. He surrendered one hit in four innings.

As Stevenson looks to make it back to the state finals, the win was a positive sign that the young team might be putting it together after a rocky, 1-2 start, with “tough competition” ahead, Emanuele said.

“Today we had three tenth-graders out there in the infield, we’re experienced in some other spots, a little bit young in some of our pitching,” he added. “We’re not short on talent, but we have to keep working at it and coaching hard — getting to the point where they can be competitive at a younger age.”

More baseball

Detroit Country Day 10, L’Anse Creuse North 1: John Malcom was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, Jon Campbell was 3-for-4 with two doubles, Parker Pilat was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and Mason Kolean was the winning pitcher for Country Day (5-1).

Detroit Western International 11, Detroit Catholic Central 3: Gianni Cuevas hit a three-run homer, Emmanuel Clark went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and William English went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, a double and a home run while picking up five strikeouts and the win for Western (4-1, 1-0 PSL Mega).

Southgate 5, Woodhaven 4: Jace Matkin homered and Nick Phillips picked up the win after scoring on a walk-off squeeze for Southgate (2-2, 1-0 Downriver).

Softball

Madison Heights Lamphere 19, Ferndale 4: Alexis Wark doubled, homered, had five RBIs and three runs scored for Lamphere (1-1). Andrea Khalasawi doubled and scored with one RBI for Ferndale (0-2).

More Thursday results

Baseball

Ann Arbor Huron 5-7, Belleville 4-0 (2nd game 4 inn.)

Livonia Franklin 5, Dearborn 3

Oxford 9, Clarkston Everest Collegiate 1

West Bloomfield 15, Dearborn Divine Child 4

Softball

Harper Woods 14, Taylor Trillium 8

Livonia Franklin 19, Dearborn 13

St. Clair Shores Lakeview 10, Warren Cousino 0 (6 inn.)

West Bloomfield 12, Royal Oak Shrine 4