TRAVERSE CITY -- Team Near kept Team Far in check for eight innings Wednesday.
But that one inning was too costly to overcome.
Team Far posted eight runs in the eighth inning for an 8-7 win in the ninth-annual Near-Far All-Star game at Traverse City Central High School.
It was only the second time the Far squad has won the event, with the last victory coming in 2002.
"It feels good," East Jordan pitcher Kevin Lavanway said. "I didn't know the other team had won it seven years straight until after the game, so that got me a little more excited."
The Far team entered the eighth inning trailing 3-0, but led off with walks from East Jordan's Darryl Bingham and Cadillac's Jeff Bruggema. The two came home on hits from Gaylord's Taylor Ciszewski and Benzie's Mark Michalek to get the rally started.
With the bases loaded, Ciszewski came home when Central Lake's Ryan Crawley was hit by a pitch while Michalek scored on a two-out walk from Lavanway. Bingham then singled in Benzie's Dan Nickerson, Crawley and Lavanway scored on wild pitches and Bingham came home on Bruggema's RBI shot to center for an 8-3 Far lead.
"I don't even know," Lavanway said of the inning. "Everyone got on a good rally. Team morale got up a little bit and we were able to pull it together."
The Near team tried to respond in the bottom of the frame and posted four runs, but couldn't get one more to tie things up.
Mesick's Mark Fortelka scored on an RBI double from Lake Leelanau St. Mary's Ray Platts, TC Central's Corey Lundy and Platts scored on passed balls while Joel Lints from St. Francis scored on a throwing error.
The Near team had one more chance in the ninth inning, but Crawley took the mound for the Far squad and threw a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout to pick up the save.
Early on, the game was scoreless as pitchers from both teams shut down the opposition.
"I was really impressed," Lavanway said. "We really haven't seen pitching like this all year. It was good to see some good pitching."
TC Central's Jason Winowiecki got the start for the Near team and pitched on his home mound one final time. He tossed two no-hit innings with three strikeouts and two walks.
"It was a lot of fun, but kind of sad too knowing it probably won't happen again here," Winowiecki said. "Sometimes I couldn't find the plate, but I worked through it and it turned out well."
Winowiecki will continue his career at St. Peter's College in New Jersey next year.
Mancelona's Greg Blanco started for the Far team and gave up two hits with a strikeout and a walk in the first two innings.
That opened the door for Lavanway, who threw three innings with seven strikeouts, two hits and three walks.
"It was a little different I guess, but I wasn't as stressed out," Lavanway said. "I knew a lot of the players from the regular season, so this time I just threw what I thought would work. I don't know, I guess it worked out for me."
While Lavanway knew some of the opposing players, he wasn't as familiar with his Far squad teammates.
"I had to get used to a lot of the guys, I didn't really know a lot of them," Lavanway said. "We ran into a little confusion on a couple of plays because most teams do it a little different. But towards the end of the game, I think most everyone got along pretty well."
The Near team posted the first runs of the game in the sixth inning when Tyler Smith from Elk Rapids led off with a double to left field, followed by an RBI single from Mesick's Cody Wagatha. TC West's Scott Witkop would later score Wagatha on a sacrifice fly to center.
In the seventh inning, the Near team got one more run as Sutton singled and scored on a passed ball.
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