WHITEHALL – The Fruitport baseball team hit a rough stretch recently, after beating just about everyone for most of the season.

After going 24-1, they dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Hopkins and lost a shot at a conference title, then lost a pair of games at a Memorial Day weekend tournament.

Some people might have been thinking that Fruitport was basically done, but the Trojans reminded everyone on Saturday that they are still very much alive.

They beat Oakridge 2-0 on Saturday morning in a Division 2 district tournament semifinal game, then followed up with an impressive 6-1 win over Whitehall in the finals to claim the championship.

It was Fruitport’s first district title since 2022.

The Trojans, now 27-5, move on to the Division 2 regionals with a semifinal game against Sparta on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Fremont High School.

“After getting beat by Montague in our tournament, the message to the guys was ‘Great news! Tomorrow is Sunday and we get to start a new week,'” said Fruitport Coach Nick Reed. “Our boys responded in the Reeths-Puffer game (a victory in final regular season game) and responded again today.

Fruitport’s Tommy Anderson tries to snag a fly ball. Photo/Angela Rusnak

“These guys have always been able to show up, shake things off and move on, and they’ll show up on Monday, work their tails off in practice and be ready for regionals. I’ll take this team against anybody cause they’ll battle and they’ll win.”

The Trojans wasted no time in the championship game, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Braxton Ward walked and scored on an an RBI single by Hudson Hazekamp.

“I got to the plate and recognized guys in scoring position and thought to myself, ‘Split the ball and put it in play,’ thinking I was in for a battle,” Hazekamp said. “Luckily I hit it pretty good and we were able to score.

“We learned a lot after losing four straight games. That’s why I think this one means so much to us. We’re not done. We have bigger things to play for.”

Fruitport went up 2-0 in the second inning when Tommy Anderson got caught in a rundown between third base and home, but was still able to score on an error by the catcher.

Anderson drilled a double to left field in the fourth inning, knocking in Trevor Rusnak. Jax Flynn followed with a bases-loaded, two-run single that scored Avery Lambers and Satchel Norwood and made the score 5-0.

Lambers completed the scoring with an RBI single in the fifth inning, driving in Hazekamp.

Whitehall scored its only run in the sixth inning.

Rusnak was great on the mound for the Trojans, throwing a complete game while scattering four hits with five strikeouts and three walks.

“I think we found ourselves a little overconfident after beating Spring Lake,” Rusnak said. “That cost us a conference title, but then we shifted and refocused and it’s paid dividends.

“We need to keep playing like the brotherhood that we are. Our sticks are hot right now, and our defense is playing really, really well.”