![](/sites/default/files/imported/Photos/DailyDishSig2H.jpg)
High 5s - 4/17/12
April 17, 2012
Each week, Second Half gives "High 5s" to multiple athletes and a team that have performed exceptionally on the field or made a notable impact off of it.
Please offer your suggestions by e-mail to [email protected]. Below are this week's honorees:
Sarah Appold
Saginaw Valley Lutheran senior
Softball
Appold is putting the final touches on a career that places her among the best ever at Saginaw Valley Lutheran. She holds multiple Chargers strikeout records and appears three times in the MHSAA record book for strikeouts in a game -- her best of 15 in a 2010 contest is tied for fifth-best in MHSAA history. Appold is 2-0 this season with batters hitting just .098 against her. She's also earned all-state recognition for volleyball and basketball this school year.
Up next: Appold has signed to play softball at Saginaw Valley State University and intends to study nursing.
I learned the most about pitching from: "Probably my dad, Randy Appold. He was pitching coach up until my seventh grade year. And Doug Gillis (out of Wixom), my pitching coach now."
My favorite athletes are: Detroit Tigers Austin Jackson and Justin Verlander. "My parents always took me to Tigers games when I was little, and I like watching them."
Try to keep up: Although Appold has never pitched to her baseball-playing friends, a few have caught her. "I've had a lot of people since freshman year ask me to pitch against them, to see how they'd do. I think I'd handle myself against them. ... There's a lot of different movement (to softball pitches)."
Nick Stiles
Bath senior
Baseball
Stiles is finishing up an all-state career for the Bees that included a trip to the Division 3 Semifinals in 2010. He's currently tied with former standout Brennan Powers for Bath's career pitching wins record with 33, enough to also get him on the MHSAA record book list in that category. Stiles is 2-0 this season and has yet to give up an earned run -- including over 10 innings Monday, although he didn't get a decision in either game that afternoon. He also plays center field.
Up next: Stiles said a few colleges said they'd like to watch him this season before offering a scholarship. Also his school's valedictorian, Stiles, has been accepted by Michigan State and could go there as a student only. He'd major in human biology with an eye on becoming an orthopedic surgeon -- which began to interest him after he suffered an ankle injury as a sophomore. He also might consider walking-on at MSU or playing on the club team.
My best pitch is: "My fastball. I've got the most control over it. I can put it pretty much anywhere I want."
I learned the most about pitching from: "My 14-and-under baseball coach Dave Morena. He had a certain way of doing things, and he knew what he was talking about. He taught me pretty much everything I know."
I look up to: "Justin Verlander. He works fast. He does throw his fastball a lot too. He's confident in his other pitches, but he likes to go to his fastball."
My career highlight: "The state Semifinal run. Records are records, made to be broken and all of that nonsense. But the run of the team; we weren't expected to do it, and the whole town followed us. Even though we lost, it was a great experience."
Grand Rapids West Catholic boys golf
After falling just five strokes short of winning the Kent County Classic on April 12 at The Highlands (behind top-ranked Division 1 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central), West Catholic took on some of the state's top Division 2 and 3 teams the next day at Michigan State's Forest Akers East -- and edged reigning Division 2 champion DeWitt by a stroke with a 303 to win the Haslett Invitational.
The Forest Akers field including Division 2 Nos. 1 and 2 DeWitt and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, respectively, and Division 3 No. 1 Jackson Lumen Christi and No. 9 Hanover-Horton -- with West Catholic ranked No. 4 in Division 3 entering the tournament. Junior Sam Weatherhead was medalist at both the Kent County Classic and Haslett Invitational, shooting 68 and 69, respectively, to win by four and three strokes.
![South Lyon softball](/sites/default/files/2021-06/210619_D1s_2H.jpg)
South Lyon Follows Freshman Phenom to 1st Finals Win
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
June 19, 2021
EAST LANSING – Allen Park was never able to solve South Lyon pitcher Ava Bradshaw on Saturday.
The freshman showed unbelievable poise on the mound and led the Lions (30-6-2) to the Division 1 championship with a 5-0 victory over the Jaguars at Secchia Stadium.
She was in trouble only in the seventh inning, when Molly Hool led off with a double. But Bradshaw got the next three batters, striking out the last to clinch the program’s first Finals title.
“She’s got the fire,’’ said Allen Park coach Mike Kish. “She has Division I stuff and she’s only a freshman. She has the spin and a rise ball. It’s hard to lay off.
“We have a team that loves each other. We’ll be back. We’re a young team. We can’t let her win again. This was the first time both of us were here, and after the Semifinals I thought we were confident.’’
Bradshaw scattered three hits. She said getting a lead just allowed her to pitch.
“I was a mess last night (Friday),’’ said Bradshaw. “My rise ball was working for me. It was on and that obviously helps. I had a great defense behind me. Every ball that was hit, I knew it was going to be caught. When you have that kind of confidence in your defense, it’s easier to pitch.’’
“This is the stuff we practice, being on the big stage in pressure situations. We played some of the top teams in the state, and we’ve always excelled. We practice pressure situations.”
Bradshaw got the scoring started with an RBI double after Grace Walters reached on an error. Julia Duncan’s single scored another run to make it 2-0 in the first inning.
Not long after, the game went into a rain delay for 20 minutes, giving the Jaguars (32-11) a chance to regroup.
Bradshaw didn’t need it.
“She’s always a mess before a game,’’ said coach Dan DePaulis. “The way she trains, the way she plans for things. She’s a competitor. She attacks hitters. She’s just a really special kid.’’
After a rocky first inning, Allen Park pitcher Morgan Sizemore settled down and kept Allen Park in the game while the offense had a hard time solving Bradshaw, who pitched with minor stress.
She continually kept the Jaguars off balance and got great plays behind her. She also continued adding to the offense – after South Lyon loaded the bases on singles in the bottom of the fifth inning, Bradshaw’s sacrifice fly produced a run to make it 3-0.
The Lions tacked on insurance in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-run double by Riley Bourlier.
“I thought we had a chance to do this after Regionals,’’ said Bourlier. “Ava is phenomenal, and it’s a pleasure to play with her.’’
PHOTOS: (Top) South Lyon pitcher Ava Bradshaw is set to fire during Saturday's Division 1 Final. (Middle) Riley Bourlier slides into third base during a Lions rally.