ACC Faces Tough Losses Vs Henry Ford
WIXOM, Mich. — February 27-28, 2026
The Alpena Community College Lumberjacks baseball team traveled to Wixom this past weekend to face the Henry Ford Hawks, dropping all four games of the series by scores of 5-1, 5-0, 13-3, and 3-2. The losses leave the Lumberjacks at 0-16 on the young season, but context matters here — ACC has deliberately scheduled one of the toughest early-season slates in the MCCAA, and this weekend was no exception. Henry Ford finished first in the MCCAA Eastern Conference a year ago, and the Lumberjacks were competing with them all weekend.
The philosophy is straightforward: battle-tested teams win in April. If the Lumberjacks can sharpen their game against the best competition available now, the conference schedule in the weeks ahead should look a lot more manageable.
Game 1 — Friday, February 27 | Henry Ford 5, ACC 1
Lane Gross took the hill in the opener and worked five solid innings, allowing four runs — though he was hampered by two errors committed behind him — while striking out three and showing the ability to eat innings against a quality opponent. Dylan Klein came on in relief and threw a scoreless sixth.
The Lumberjacks got a highlight moment when AJ Wheelock launched a solo home run in the third inning, and ACC collected three hits on the afternoon including a double from Isaac Zocco. Henry Ford's Coleman Thomas hit a home run of his own and the Hawks built a 5-1 lead that held, but Wheelock's blast and Gross's durability were encouraging signs heading into the rest of the weekend.
Game 2 — Friday, February 27 | Henry Ford 5, ACC 0
The Lumberjacks ran into a dominant performance from the Hawks' starter in the nightcap, as the Henry Ford pitcher struck out 12 ACC batters over 5.2 innings, surrendering just two hits. Kaleb Donajkowski took the loss on the mound, working four innings and fanning nine opposing hitters before giving way to Charlie Best in the fifth.
Offensively, ACC managed only two hits — a double from Isaac Zocco and a single from Abel Walkotten — against a stingy Henry Ford pitching staff. The Hawks broke the game open with a three-run fourth inning and added two more in the fifth. Seeing that kind of elite-level pitching early in the season is exactly the kind of experience that sharpens a lineup over the long haul.
Game 3 — Saturday, February 28 | Henry Ford 13, ACC 3
Saturday's opener proved to be a difficult afternoon. The Hawks jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first inning and the game was shortened to five innings. Starting pitcher Jacob Brohl was touched for eight runs in two-thirds of an inning before the bullpen took over, with Ethan Bergstein (2.1 IP) and Zachary Holifield (1.2 IP) working through a tough situation and getting valuable innings under their belts.
Even in a lopsided game the Lumberjacks kept competing. Marcus Castellon had two hits and two RBIs, and Jonny Rensberry went 2-for-2. Aiden Bishop added an RBI and Corbin Allen crossed the plate as ACC scored in both the fourth and fifth innings. Getting bullpen arms experience against a lineup this dangerous will pay dividends down the road.
Game 4 — Saturday, February 28 | Henry Ford 3, ACC 2 (9 innings)
Saturday's finale was the best baseball of the series, with Ivan Kosmerick and the Lumberjacks pushing the MCCAA Eastern Conference's top team from a year ago to nine innings before falling 3-2 in walk-off fashion. ACC held the lead entering the late innings and had every opportunity to come away with a road win.
Marcus Castellon was again the offensive standout, going 2-for-3 with a double and three total bases. Isaac Zocco added an RBI single and a stolen base, and Corbin Allen chipped in with an RBI hit as well. Kosmerick turned in a gutsy 5.1-inning start allowing just two runs, and Mason McQuillin threw three solid innings in relief. Ultimately, a walk-off run in the bottom of the ninth ended what was otherwise a very winnable ball game.
Competing pitch-for-pitch with the top finisher in the MCCAA Eastern Conference last season for nine full innings is no small thing, and this game in particular should give the Lumberjacks real confidence as the season moves forward.
Weekend by the Numbers
The Lumberjacks played four games against the top finisher in last year's MCCAA Eastern Conference and came away with a roster full of hard-earned experience. Here is how the key contributors performed across the weekend:
Marcus Castellon was the clear offensive standout, going 4-for-8 with a double, 4 RBIs, and a hit-by-pitch. The sophomore from Mt. Pleasant was ACC's most consistent bat from start to finish and is emerging as a cornerstone of this lineup.
Isaac Zocco had a solid weekend at the plate as well, going 3-for-9 with two doubles, 2 RBIs, and two stolen bases — showing both gap power and the ability to create havoc on the bases.
Corbin Allen contributed 2 hits in 7 at-bats with 2 RBIs, and Jonny Rensberry was perfect in his limited opportunities, going 2-for-2 in Game 3. AJ Wheelock made his lone at-bats count, connecting on a solo home run in Game 1.
On the mound, Kaleb Donajkowski was the most dominant Lumberjack pitcher of the weekend, striking out 9 batters over 4.0 innings in Game 2 — a performance that shows real potential at the top of the rotation. Ivan Kosmerick was equally impressive in his Game 4 start, going 5.1 innings and allowing just 2 earned runs. Dylan Klein was clean in relief in Game 1, throwing a scoreless inning without allowing a hit, and Mason McQuillin contributed three strong innings of relief in the nine-inning finale.
The Lumberjacks are back in action next weekend when they travel to take on Glen Oaks Community College on Saturday and Sunday. With conference play drawing closer, every game from here on out is an opportunity to build on what this demanding early-season schedule has been teaching them.