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Marine City finishes 2025 as Division 3 runner-up after late rally falls short
Marine City’s dream run reached McLane Stadium, where the Mariners fell 5–4 to Traverse City St. Francis in the Division 3 championship game. Down 5–0, they clawed back to within one before time ran out, closing the season 26–11 with an 11–4 mark to claim the MAC Gold — and the program’s first appearance in a state title game [1].The climb featured a signature postseason breakthrough earlier in the week: senior Daniel VandeVyver worked 6.1 innings for the win and added three hits and three RBIs in a regional victory, with Marine City pushing the game by pressuring on the bases and getting key contributions from Dakota Droptiny and Paul Muscat. The Mariners stood 26–10 entering finals weekend after that performance [2].The 2025 varsity group etched itself into program history as Division 3 state runner-up, a new standard noted across the season’s ledger and postseason path [1][3].