Divine Child Eliminated From Baseball Playoffs in Controversial 5-4 Loss to Ferndale

Dearborn Divine Child and Ferndale baseball teams played a regional semifinals game on Saturday that won’t soon be forgotten.

The Eagles edged out defending state champions the Falcons, 5-4, at Madonna University in a game filed with controversy. It was the first time in eight years that the Falcons lost in the first round of regionals.

Both managers spent almost as much time on the field arguing with the umpires as they did in the dugout. The big fireworks came in the bottom of the sixth when Divine Child coach Tony DeMare was thrown out of the game.

“I think it was frustrating for both coaches,” Ferndale coach John Sibula said. “You like a nice flow to a game and it just wasn’t happening.”

After Ferndale started out to a quick two-run lead, Divine Child answered back with a 4-2 lead going into the fifth inning.

But Ferndale came back by taking advantage of bases loaded situations in the fifth and sixth inning. Eagle Justin Hammerle walked in a run to make the game 4-3. In the sixth, Keith Waldrip hit a two-run single.

DeMare was tossed in the bottom half of that inning.

DC's Justin Williams hit a double to lead off the inning. Nick Posh came up to bat with two outs and hit a slow roller to Eagles shortstop Scott Jones. Jones’ throw to first pulled teammate Gregory Rose off the bag, but Rose recovered quickly and touched the bag just as Posh got there. Posh was called safe.

Sibula ran out and argued the call. He said Rose actually tagged the runner with his glove hand when he was pulled off the bag. The umpires conferred and reversed the call in Ferndale’s favor.

DeMare came out of the dugout fuming. He screamed at the home plate umpire and was quickly ejected, but he stayed out on the diamond yelling at the umpire for a good five minutes.

“You ought to be ashamed,” he screamed at the ump. “This will be your last regional.”

DeMare and DC's players declined comment after the game. They walked to the bus clearly upset by the turn of events.

It wasn't the games only controversial call, either. The initial dispute in the game was over a fly ball hit by Divine Child third baseman Tommy DiPonio in the third inning.

Ferndale starter Ryan Humphreys quickly retired the first two batters in the inning and then DiPonio hit a routine fly ball to left field. It looked like it would be an easy third out and the Eagles would get out of the inning with their 2-0 lead intact. 

Leftfielder Brandon White caught the ball and Ferndale started running off the field, but White appeared to pick something up off the ground after making the catch.

Divine Child’s coaches screamed from the dugout that the junior dropped the ball. The Ferndale bench and fans starting yelling back that White had actually just bent down to pick up his sunglasses. 

A weird scene played out when DiPonio kept running the bases as the Eagles walked off the field.

DeMare immediately ran toward the umpires to argue his case, and eventually, they agreed with him. They ruled that White dropped the ball and DiPonio was ordered to go to second base.

“It (was) an obvious catch,” Sibula said. “It is what it is. He dropped his glasses off his head and went to pick it up. The umpire thought he dropped the ball and from that distance it was hard to tell.”

Sibula came out and argued with no success. Randy Kuzdak came up next and hit an RBI double. The Falcons would go on to score three more unearned runs in the inning to take a 4-2 lead–but it wouldn't be enough to secure their win.

Falcon Eric Haase, who was and is easily seen as DC's best player, had a frustrating day pitching. He was 0-2 with three intentional walks. He left three runners stranded in the second inning by flying out to center.