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Preview: Welcoming Contenders New & Old
June 13, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Among Michigan’s smallest high school powers, this season’s MHSAA Softball Tournament has rolled along much as expected.
But among the bigger schools, it’s been three weeks of surprises as we head into the season’s final weekend at Michigan State University’s Secchia Stadium.
While the top-ranked and No. 2 teams in both Division 3 and Division 4 are among 16 semifinalists taking the field this weekend, the Division 1 and 2 brackets have seen upset after upset – with No. 3 Escanaba in Division 2 the highest-ranked contender left in those respective fields, and a pair of unranked teams also in the mix.
See below for a schedule of this weekend’s games, plus glances at all 16 teams that will take the field beginning Thursday.
Semifinals – Thursday
Division 1
Warren Regina vs. Caledonia, 10 a.m.
Howell vs. Hartland, 12:30 p.m.
Division 2
Dearborn Divine Child vs. South Haven, 3 p.m.
Escanaba vs. Eaton Rapids, 5:30 p.m.
Semifinals – Friday
Division 3
Sanford Meridian vs. Millington, 10 a.m.
Clinton vs. Coloma, 12:30 p.m.
Division 4
Rogers City vs. Coleman, 3 p.m.
Unionville-Sebewaing vs. Centreville, 5:30 p.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1: 10 a.m.
Division 2: 12:30 p.m.
Division 3: 3 p.m.
Division 4: 5:30 p.m.
Tickets cost $8 per round and include admission to baseball games those days also at MSU’s Old College Field. Radio broadcasts of all games can be heard online at MHSAAnetwork.com. All games will be streamed live online at MHSAA.TV and viewable on subscription basis. Click to order tickets in advance and for a parking map.
All statistics below are through Regionals. (Click for links to brackets and scores.)
Division 1
CALEDONIA
Record/rank: 27-6, No. 7
Coach: Tom Kaechele, 17th season (364-192-2)
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2015.
Players to watch: Samantha Gehrls, sr. P/IF (19-2, 1.30 ERA, 192 K, .495 hitting, 13 HR, 47 RBI); Taylor Cross, jr. C/3B (.433, 36 RBI); Abby Mitchell, soph. OF (.468, 11 HR, 36 RBI), Emmalee Hamp, soph. IF/P (.426, 11 2B, 31 RBI, 5-3 pitching, 2.89 ERA).
Outlook: Caledonia has come full circle as Gehrls starred as a freshman when the team made its only other Semifinal appearance. She was an all-stater in 2017 and will continue next season at Grand Valley State. The Fighting Scots have outscored their postseason opponents 36-3 over six games, giving up no more than a run despite facing honorable mentions Mattawan, Lowell and Jenison. Junior second baseman Ashley VanZytveld (.378, 40 R) is a strong starter at the top of the lineup and earned an all-state honorable mention last spring.
HARTLAND
Record/rank: 32-5, No. 9
Coach: Bob Greene, fourth season (110-43)
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association Gold
Championship history: Class A champion 1996.
Players to watch: Madelin Skene, sr. 3B/P/1B (.484, 19 2B, 14 HR, 69 RBI, 9-0 pitching, 1.76 ERA); Sam Nagel, jr. OF/3B (.504, 14 2B, 45 RBI); Rachel Everett, fr. P/1B (18-4, 1.65 ERA, 148 K); Bri Robeson, sr. 2B (.431, 48 R)
Outlook: Hartland has enjoyed two straight walk-off wins, over honorable mention South Lyon and top-ranked Clarkston, respectively, to reach its first Semifinal since the championship season of 1996. The Eagles also own an early-season sweep of No. 10 Howell, its Semifinal opponent. Skene has been the star of a dangerous lineup; eight regulars are hitting .345 or higher, and freshman shortstop Delaney Robeson joins Everett among impressive first-year players hitting .443 with 44 RBI.
HOWELL
Record/rank: 29-10, No. 10
Coach: Ron Pezzoni, fourth season (129-33-1)
League finish: Second in KLAA Gold
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Sydney Pezzoni, sr. OF/IF (.482, 29 RBI); Avery Wolverton, fr. P/IF (.443 6 HR, 55 RBI, 9-2 pitching, 2.12 ERA); Maddie Springer, fr. C/IF (.413 29 RBI); AJ Militello, jr. OF/IF (.408 8 HR, 44 RBI, 18 SB).
Outlook: Howell has been building toward this first Semifinal appearance since 2008. One more win would give the Highlanders at least 30 all four seasons under Ron Pezzoni, to go with a fourth straight District title. Militello and Sydney Pezzoni earned all-state honorable mentions last season. Sophomore Molly Carney has been the ace, heading into this week 18-8 with a 2.66 ERA and 198 strikeouts.
WARREN REGINA
Record/rank: 25-7, unranked
Coach: Diane Laffey, 48th season (1,130-467-5)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2015).
Players to watch: Melina Livingston, sr. 3B (.489, 15 HR, 33 RBI); Maria Muglia, jr. P/C/1B (13-2, 2.06 ERA, 108 K, .480 hitting, 50 RBI); Leah Munson, jr. SS (.490, 26 RBI); Miranda Nicholas, fr. IF/P (.500).
Outlook: The winningest coach in MHSAA history has Regina back at Finals weekend with an upset of No. 2 New Baltimore Anchor Bay coming along the way. Livingston made the all-state team last season and is one of five senior hitters in the starting lineup. Second baseman Meghan Berlin (.462, 31 RBI) and outfielder and Megan Ross (.443) are among other senior standouts.
Division 2
DEARBORN DIVINE CHILD
Record/rank: 22-9, unranked
Coach: Regina Dunn, third season (57-35)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League AA
Championship history: Class B champion 1975, Division 2 runner-up 1998.
Players to watch: Angela Dunn, sr. SS/2B/3B/OF (.511, 40 RBI); Maddie Zang, jr. P/1B (14-4, 2.22 ERA, 149 K); Katie Connolly, sr. 3B/1B/OF (.571, 15 2B, 39 RBI); Kerstin Hamann, sr. 2B/3B/1B (.500, 41 RBI).
Outlook: Divine Child also made the Quarterfinals the last two seasons but this week broke through to earn a first Semifinal appearance since 1998 with an extra-inning win Tuesday over No. 7 Richmond. Five seniors anchor the starting lineup, and seven regulars hit at least .346. The Falcons played possible championship game opponent Escanaba to a 4-1 loss near the end of the regular season, one of a number of prep games that should have them ready for this weekend’s tough competition.
EATON RAPIDS
Record/rank: 36-6, honorable mention
Coach: Scott Warriner, 14th season (458-107-4)
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference White
Championship history: Class B runner-up 1981.
Players to watch: Grace Lehto, soph. P (23-4, 1.62 ERA, 237 K, .520 hitting, 18 2B, 11 HR, 60 RBI); Morgan Vanderwall, soph. RF (.385, 31 RBI, 14 SB); Shelby Kunkel, fr. OF (.411, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 30 SB); Peyton Benjamin, soph. CF (.421, 15 2B, 56 R, 36 SB).
Outlook: Eaton Rapids has dominated Lansing-area competition over the last decade and has a chance on the statewide stage thanks to its first Regional title since 1981. And this could be just the start: All but two of the nine starting hitters are underclassmen. Seven regulars entered the week batting .322 or better, and the Greyhounds as a team also had 157 stolen bases in 175 attempts. Senior shortstop Aubrie Benward (.322) can pitch too; she was 11-2 with a 1.96 ERA entering the week.
ESCANABA
Record/rank: 29-3, No. 3
Coach: Jamie Segorski, fourth season (129-18)
League finish: Does not play in a conference for softball.
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2003.
Players to watch: Lexi Chaillier, jr. OF (.511, 6 HR, 24 SB); Taylor Gauthier, sr. SS (.411, 14 2B, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 11 SB); Gabi Salo, soph. P (18-3, 0.41 ERA, 253 K); Claire McInerney, sr. 2B (.483, 12 2B, 16 SB).
Outlook: Escanaba will make its third straight Semifinal appearance after falling to Richmond both of the last two. The Eskymos have outscored their five postseason opponents by a combined 47-2 – against a group including No. 8 Muskegon Oakridge and honorable mention Saginaw Swan Valley. Salo, just a sophomore, was all-state in 2017 and has committed to play collegiately for Wisconsin. She has a loaded lineup supporting her; in addition to those mentioned above, five others are hitting at least .371, with senior Madison Griffin at .408 with 40 RBI and freshman Nicole Kamin hitting .567 with 10 stolen bases in limited varsity at bats.
SOUTH HAVEN
Record/rank: 31-8, honorable mention
Coach: Wilma Wilson, 29th season (707-346)
League finish: Third in Wolverine Conference
Championship history: Class B runner-up 1977-79.
Players to watch: Hayley Kreiger, sr. P (27-5, 2.01 ERA, 232 K, .526 hitting, 14 2B, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 26 SB); Anna Bocock, sr. 1B (.381, 26 RBI); Jordyn Holland, fr. OF (.359, 41 R, 19 RBI); Haley Mines, sr. 2B (.379, 19 RBI).
Outlook: South Haven is one of the most intriguing stories of this tournament as it heads to its first Semifinal since 1982. The Rams emerged as the last team standing from a Wolverine Conference that also included No. 5 Three Rivers and talented Vicksburg, and they advanced to this week by upsetting top-ranked Stevensville Lakeshore in the Regional Final. For an encore, South Haven handed No. 2 Spring Lake its first and only loss of this season in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal. Seven starters hit at least .312 entering this week, while Kreiger has starred at the plate and in the circle.
Division 3
CLINTON
Record/rank: 37-1, No. 3
Coach: Kim Phillip, sixth season (185-36)
League finish: First in Tri-County Conference
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2012), one runner-up finish.
Players to watch: Renee Hoffman, sr. P (26-0, 0.77 ERA, 258 K, .550 hitting, 22 2B, 39 RBI, 17 SB); Rilee Szczesniak, jr. SS (.514, 55 R, 31 RBI, 31 SB); Libbi Fair, fr. C (.513, 12 2B, 57 R, 56 RBI, 24 SB); Payton Hernandez, jr. 2B/P (.392, 11 2B, 46 RBI, 8-1 pitching).
Outlook: Clinton eliminated both of last year’s finalists – No. 5 and reigning champ Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central and honorable mention Napoleon – at the Regional, then got past No. 7 Allen Park Cabrini in the Quarterfinal. The team’s only loss this spring came to honorable mention Adrian Madison, by a run. Hoffman and Szczesniak both made the all-state team in 2017, and the Redskins have made this first Semifinal run since 2014 despite losing all-state honorable mention outfielder Briana Johnson to an injury.
COLOMA
Record/rank: 36-3, No. 2
Coach: Wendy Goodline, 19th season (513-198-1)
League finish: First in Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Megan Koenigshof, soph. SS (.601, 62 R, 37 SB); Morgan Wagner, sr. C (.519, 18 2B, 55 R, 52 RBI, 21 SB); Kayla Yore, sr. CF (.434, 58 R, 14 2B, 44 RBI, 18 SB); Skylar Crisenbery, sr. P (17-2, 1.45 ERA, .364 hitting, 29 RBI).
Outlook: Coloma is playing in its third Semifinal in seven seasons (and first since 2014) after falling to Napoleon in a high-scoring Quarterfinal a year ago. An experienced crew is ready to push for its first championship: Crisenbery and Yore made the all-state team last season, while Wagner, Koenigshof and senior Jaidyn Hutsell, (.411, 11 2B, 40 RBI) earned honorable mentions. Nothing should surprise the Comets this weekend – they own wins over Division 2 top-ranked Stevensville Lakeshore and Division 1 honorable mention Mattawan.
MILLINGTON
Record/rank: 38-2, No. 1
Coach: Greg Hudie, eighth season (223-88)
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference East
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Sydney Bishop, jr. C (.512, 8 HR, 42 RBI); Gabbie Sherman, jr. P (25-2, 0.80 ERA, 220 K, .481 hitting, 11 2B, 51 RBI); Lean Denome, jr. CF (.481, 12 2B, 58 R, 45 RBI, 16 SB); Darrien Roberts, soph. RF (.470, 59 R, 14 2B, 10 HR, 61 RBI).
Outlook: Millington has been in the mix with three straight Regional titles and its first Semifinals appearance in 2016, but this group is especially intriguing with no seniors and tons of firepower. Bishop and Sherman earned all-state honorable mentions last season and help pace a team that is a combined 111-12 over the last three seasons. Sophomore first baseman Madi Hahn adds another big bat at .426 with 10 homers, and all nine starting hitters are batting .364 or higher. The Cardinals have outscored five playoff opponents by a combined 57-3.
SANFORD MERIDIAN
Record/rank: 27-14, honorable mention
Coach: Jamie Smith, 18th season (record N/A)
League finish: Second in Jack Pine Conference
Championship history: Class B champion 1987, Class C runner-up 1983.
Players to watch: Mya Hall, (.448, 10 2B, 14 SB); Baleigh Hill, jr. 1B (.438, 11 2B, 37 RBI); Ally Sutton, fr. 2B (.363, 21 RBI, 13 SB); Peyton Grice, jr. P (15-10, 2.34 ERA, 109 K, .311 hitting, 11 2B, 33 RBI).
Outlook: Meridian will play in its first Semifinal since 1997, and despite entering the tournament with seven straight losses – albeit those mostly to ranked teams in Divisions 1 and 2 as the Mustangs tuned up for the playoffs. The nonleague schedule was loaded to start the spring as well, and facing that level of competition has paid off. Hall earned an all-state honorable mention last season and helps lead a team that is graduating only two starters and three seniors total. Smith has more than 400 career wins over 28 seasons coaching, including a decade at Midland Bullock Creek before coming to Meridian.
Division 4
CENTREVILLE
Record/rank: 34-6, No. 10
Coach: Scott Logan, fourth season (92-31)
League finish: First in Southwest 10 Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: MaKenzi Troyer, jr. SS (.414, 57 R, 14 2B); Joanna Larsen, soph. 3B (.595, 11 HR, 73 RBI, 65 R), McKenzie Sheteron, soph. 2B (.469, 63 R, 13 2B, 51 RBI); Hannah Duchene, soph. P (10-3, 1.34 ERA, .555 hitting, 13 2B, 66 RBI).
Outlook: Centreville is back at the Semifinals for the first time since 2011, advancing with a Quarterfinal win over reigning runner-up Ottawa Lake Whiteford and a Regional Final victory over No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian – an impressive showing for a team with only two seniors and 10 underclassmen. The lineup is loaded with seven hitters batting at least .410 – sophomore centerfielder Kenleigh West-Wing (.466), sophomore catcher Jaedan Blades (.461) and sophomore leftfielder Olivia Deeds (.410) are also part of that group. There are pitching options as well; Duchene is expected to start, but senior Emma Russell was 11-1 entering the week, and Sheteron was 7-2.
COLEMAN
Record/rank: 29-9, No. 2
Coach: Chad Klopf, ninth season (205-86)
League finish: First in Mid-State Activities Conference
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2005.
Players to watch: Jaden Berthume, jr. 3B/P (.512, 46 RBI, 8-2 pitching, 1.40 ERA); Faith Barden, sr. P/1B (18-6, 1.85 ERA, 212 K, .407 hitting); Autumn Tubbs, sr. SS (.487, 10 2B, 41 RBI, 13 SB); MacKenzie Miller, jr. 2B (.411, 51 R).
Outlook: Coleman won its fourth straight Regional title and will play in its second straight Semifinal, with Barden a returning all-stater from a year ago. Tuesday’s 1-0 Quarterfinal win over Frankfort was easily the closest of the tournament for the Comets; they won their other four games by a combined 45-3. Eight regulars were hitting at least .303 entering the week, with junior centerfielder Makailyn Monson (.374, 18 SB, 52 R) a strong starter at the top of the lineup and junior outfielder Annabelle Bovee (.390, 11 2B, 42 RBI) another big bat driving runs home.
ROGERS CITY
Record/rank: 32-5, No. 1
Coach: Karl Grambau, 16th season (435-156)
League finish: First in North Star League
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2014, two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Hannah Fleming, sr. 3B (.479, 11 HR, 49 RBI, 52 R); Jayna Hance, jr. 2B/P (.480, 59 R, 18 2B, 14-3 pitching, 2.89 ERA,); Kayla Rabeau, sr. SS (.550, 62 R, 10 2B, 44 RBI); Taylor Fleming, jr. 1B (.494, 11 HR, 51 RBI).
Outlook: After falling to Indian River Inland Lakes in Quarterfinals the last two years, Rogers City got past its nemesis in the Regional Final and back to the Semifinals for the second time in five seasons. Hannah and Taylor Fleming, Rabeau and Hance all were all-state selections a year ago and lead a team that has lost only once to a Division 4 team – in a split with No. 6 Onaway. Eight regulars hit at least .302 entering the week, and sophomore Kyrsten Altman (16-2, 2.21 ERA) is expected to start in the circle with Hance another great pitching option.
UNIONVILLE-SEBEWAING
Record/rank: 31-8, honorable mention
Coach: Isaiah Gainforth, second season (62-18)
League finish: First in Greater Thumb Conference West.
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2007), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Maci Montgomery, fr. C (.500, 11 2B, 36 RBI, 11 SB); Katie Engelhardt, sr. P/1B (.496, 21 2B, 6 HR, 62 RBI); Rylee Zimmer, jr. SS (.463, 14 2B, 11 3B, 41 RBI, 12 SB); Brianna Osantowske, sr. LF (.391, 12 2B, 45 RBI, 11 SB).
Outlook: USA won an incredible 15th straight Regional title over the weekend and will play in its 12th Semifinal in 13 seasons after falling in the Quarterfinal a year ago. Engelhardt two-hit No. 8 Waterford Our Lady on Tuesday so help her team advance. She earned an all-state honorable mention last season, as did Zimmer and Osantowske. Junior Delanie Pavlichek hit the game-winning grand slam Tuesday and adds another big bat (.397), and senior Lauren Adam (.376) leads things off and had 28 steals in 31 attempts entering the week. USA also has wins this season over Division 3 No. 1 Millington and honorable mention Sanford Meridian and Division 2 honorable mention Saginaw Swan Valley.
PHOTO: Escanaba’s Taylor Gauthier (32) rounds second base on her way to third during Tuesday’s Quarterfinal win over Saginaw Swan Valley. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
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Softball Gave Michigan Girls Opportunity
May 3, 2016
By Ron Pesch
Special for Second Half
In 1971, Jennifer Bradley, a 17-year-old senior at New Buffalo High School, attempted to play for the school’s varsity baseball team. Her request was rejected by the team’s coach. The story made national news.
Described as a better hitter than many boys, who could also run and field, Bradley was a player who local police chief and amateur baseball coach Dale Siebenmark felt would be an asset to any team.
Siebenmark wrote the Michigan High School Athletic Association on her behalf, asking for clarification on her status. Bradley was told, via letter, by the MHSAA rules committee that “girls cannot engage in sports where part or all the membership of a participating team is composed of boys.”
Because she was a senior, Bradley opted not to push beyond.
“I hope in the future other girls who are interested will pursue the matter of girls trying to get on teams,” said Bradley, inadvertently foreshadowing a change that would arrive. “But, they should start when they are freshmen.”
Into this environment was born an expanding array of MHSAA state tournaments for girls.
Outside regional tournaments in alpine skiing, started during the 1953-54 school year and staged for both boys and girls, gymnastics was the first sport for females to receive a statewide MHSAA-sponsored championship tournament. It began with the 1971-72 school year – the school year prior to the signing of the United States Education Amendments, which included Title IX, in July 1972.
MHSAA golf, tennis, swimming & diving and track & field championships were added for girls during the 1972-73 school year. Basketball arrived the following year. Skiing moved to a statewide championship in February 1975.
That spring also would see the first MHSAA Finals for one of the state's fastest-growing girls sports.
According to press reports, 182 high schools in the Great Lakes State had softball teams during the 1972-73 school year. One year later, the number had jumped to 331. With the announcement of the first MHSAA-sponsored softball tournament in the spring of 1975, the total increased again to 410.
“Some of the finest facilities in the state are being used for the championships,” noted the Detroit Free Press, indicating that this was the fifth anniversary of the MHSAA title games for baseball and the first for softball. “The Class A girls softball playoffs, for instance, are being played at Lansing’s Ranney Park, a fine outstate park for 40 years.”
It was one of four separate sites used for the final rounds of softball. Class B games were hosted at Dickinson Field in Kalamazoo, Class C games were held at Manchester High School and Class D at Plangger Field in Benton Harbor. Semifinal games were scheduled at 10 a.m., noon and 12:30 p.m., with the championship contests scheduled for 3 p.m., 3:30 or 4 p.m. of the same day, depending on the site.
In Class A, all-around athlete Mary Kay Itnyre (who in 2015 was inducted into Michigan State University’s Athletic Hall of Fame for her stellar college basketball career) tossed back-to-back no-hit games for Redford Bishop Borgess in regional play. Itnyre, a 6-foot junior, then added a third consecutive no-hitter as the Spartans topped Bay City Central in the Semifinals, 7-0. (Bay City’s girls wore volleyball uniforms that doubled as their softball uniforms, illustrating the inequality between the boys and girls athletics that existed at the time).
“If the Detroit Tigers ever begin drafting females, pitcher Mary Kay Itnyre may be the first on the list,” wrote a United Press International writer covering that first tournament.
Later in the day, Itnyre allowed only four hits as the Borgess girls downed Portage Central, 15-3, for the title. Itnyre opened the game with three innings of no-hit ball while Borgess pounded out 12 runs, including a home run by Sue Janus in the second inning. Lori Tremonti and Itnyre each added three hits for the victors. Ann Nolan had a two-run homer for the Mustangs in the seventh. Despite the loss, the opportunity to compete for a championship game capped a 24-year physical education career for Portage Central’s Jean Smith. Long an advocate for girls sports, Smith became the school’s first softball coach with the passage of Title IX.
Dearborn Divine Child finished the 1974 season with a 6-3 record, earning the “Best Sportsmanship” trophy from the Sterling Heights Women’s Softball Association. A year later, thanks to the changes in high school athletics, they were Class B state champions.
Catcher Sheryl Tominac notched two home runs and tallied six RBI as Divine Child crushed Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 14-2, in the Semifinal. Divine Child continued the offensive assault with 13 hits in a 14-4 pounding of Tecumseh for the title. Tominac again led the Falconettes with a single in the second inning, another home run in the fourth, and a triple in the fifth inning of the championship game.
The Detroit Catholic League continued its dominance of that first tournament, as Riverview Gabriel Richard pitcher Donna Dallos held Kalamazoo Christian to a single hit, a double by Lois Talsma, in a 5-0 victory in the Class C Final at Manchester. Mary Kay Raubolt went 2 for 4 in the game with a two-run single, while Maureen Dalton went 2 for 3 with a double. Dallos, team Most Valuable Player, finished the year with a 13-2 record and an ERA of 1.50. Gabriel Richard posted a 15-2 record on the season and earned the trip to the title game with a 14-5 win over Lakeview earlier in the day.
Freesoil entered the final weekend of softball competition with a flawless 35-0 record over three years of Western Michigan D League play. Trailing 9-8 in the seventh inning of the Semifinal game with Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, the Pirates rallied for a 10-9 win and a chance at the Class D title. Their victory ensured that the Detroit Catholic League didn’t sweep the tournament.
Flint Holy Rosary entered the final inning of its Semifinal game leading 8-1 when Fowler erupted for five runs. According to Associated Press newspaper coverage, Fowler had the bases loaded with two outs when leftfielder Kelli Gerard “tossed out a runner at the plate following a bases loaded hit to nip a last inning rally,” to advance with an 8-6 victory.
In the championship game, Freesoil jumped out to a 2-1 lead behind junior Helen Shereda’s triple in the bottom of the first inning. Shereda, who pitched both the Semifinal and Final, would later become a three-sport star at Oakland University, where she earned All-America honors in basketball. Flint Holy Rosary quickly bounced back with four runs in the second inning to gain a 5-2 lead, then added three more at the top of the fifth, making it 8-2.
Freesoil bounced back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, to pull within two, 8-6, but couldn’t grab the lead. Single runs in both the sixth and seventh innings by the Wolverines sealed the win, 10-6, and completed an incredible school year for the female athletes at Holy Rosary. Earlier, the Wolverines had won the MHSAA Class D girls basketball title, then represented Michigan in the U.S.A. Volleyball regional at Ball State University. (The MHSAA did not sponsor a volleyball state tournament until the winter of the 1975-76 school year.) The softball team included a number of athletes from the basketball and/or volleyball teams, including Gerard, Sally Lipp, catcher Patty Bentoski and pitcher Sandy Histed.
For Holy Rosary coach Anita “Jo” Lake – who had arrived as a volunteer in 1964, a year after the school’s opening – the season included yet another victory. After three operations, she had beaten breast cancer.
Since that first softball tourney, a host of other girls championship tournaments have been added by the MHSAA: Cross Country in 1979, Soccer in 1983, Competitive Cheer in 1994, Bowling in 2004 and Lacrosse in 2005.
Today, Michigan ranks 10th nationally in population, yet ranks 7th in girls and boys student participation in high school athletics. The numbers are truly impressive, especially when one considers them from the historical perspective of 45 years ago.
Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.
PHOTOS: (Top) Redford Bishop Borgess was the first MHSAA Class A softball champion, in 1975. (Middle top) New Buffalo's Jennifer Bradley. (Middle below) Dearborn Divine Child won the 1975 Class B softball title. (Below) Riverview Gabriel Richard and Flint Holy Rosary won the Class C and D titles, respectively, in 1975.