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Bridgman Bats Earn Homes in History

July 25, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A pair of Bridgman underclassmen helped the Bees to their first MHSAA team record book listing for softball this spring, while also earning individual entries as well.

Sophomore Sydney Payne had seven RBI during a win over Benton Harbor, and freshman Madelyn Oman had six in a win over New Buffalo as Bridgman made the team RBI record list with 275 over 39 games. Payne and Oman’s record entries also were firsts for the school on the sport’s individual lists.

The Bees finished 25-14 this season and advanced to their Division 3 District Final.

Click the heading below to see where they rank in the softball record book as a whole and also for more recent record additions in that sport and baseball. 

Baseball

Canton became the 21st team to make the all-time best ERA list for clearing 1.70, posting a 1.69 in going 34-6 this spring. Seth Marano led the way with a 0.66 ERA in going 7-1, while Dean Dawson and Turner Donlin also were 7-1 on the mound.

Pellston senior Maxwell Cleaver entered a May 15 game against Boyne Falls and hit a home run, and then hit home runs in his first two at bats May 17 against Newberry. His three straight homers made the list for most in consecutive at bats.

Holt tied for 12th in MHSAA history with a 1.48 team ERA this spring in finishing 30-8. The Rams were led by senior Jesse Heikkinen (who will play at Michigan State and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers), who finished 8-1 with a 0.97 ERA.

Potterville’s Sam Traver finished his four-season career in 2015 among all-time leaders in wins, ERA and strikeouts. For his career he was added for 34 victories (against 14 losses), a 1.16 ERA, 531 strikeouts over 311 2/3 innings pitched and 11 shutouts – the strikeouts rank seventh on that list and the shutouts tied for 10th most. He also was added for ERAs of 0.28 in 2015 and 0.82 in 2014, 178 strikeouts in 2015 and six shutouts that season. He recently finished his second season at Grand Rapids Community College.

Softball

Madison Jones finished her Romeo career this spring among the MHSAA’s all-time great power hitters, adding 15 home runs to individual records listings of 18 in 2015 and 11 last year. She finished with 47 home runs, tied for fifth most all-time, and also tied for second with 10 RBI in a game this season against Howell. She also earned listings for a .528 career average and 170 career RBI. She’ll continue her career at Oakland University.

Audrey Petoskey also finished off a four-season slugging career this spring, coming in seventh all-time with 43 home runs for Milford. She added 13 this season and also was listed for 10 in 2016 and 12 in 2015, plus for hitting back-to-back home runs three times during her career. Petoskey will continue her career at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee.

Lauren Kanai and Alex Herold helped Ada Forest Hills Eastern to a 28-10 record this season especially with their bats. Kanai was added for 10 home runs and 20 doubles, while Herold was added for 72 hits, 21 doubles and a 20-game hitting streak. Herold also made the doubles career list with 34, while Kanai made career lists with 52 doubles, 155 RBI and 202 hits. Kanai will continue her career at Taylor University in Indiana.

Howell posted one of the strongest offensive seasons in MHSAA history in 2017, and a number of record book entries have followed. The Highlanders finished 38-3, scoring 466 runs (fourth all-time) with 513 hits (third), 102 doubles (third), 38 triples (fourth), 388 RBI (third) and a team .441 batting average (sixth all-time). Veronica Pezzoni capped her three-season varsity career making single-season lists with 67 runs, 76 hits and 15 triples and career lists with 187 runs, 207 hits, 25 triples, a .542 batting average and for streaks of 84 straight stolen bases and hits in 38 consecutive games. Teammate Emma Johnson earned entries this spring with 69 runs and 71 hits and career listings for 172 runs and 34 doubles over her four-year career. Maddie Gillett (23) and AJ Militello (16) were added to the single-season doubles list for their work this spring. Pezzoni will continue at University of Tennesee-Martin, while Johnson will play at Hillsdale College.

Byron earned a number of record book listings for offensive production this spring, scoring 406 runs with 437 hits, 95 doubles, 293 RBI and with a .437 batting average. Junior Alexis Andrews finished her season on a 31-game hitting streak and hit 10 home runs, while sophomore Greta L’Esperance enjoyed a 28-game streak and batted .691 while scoring 74 runs. Parker Viele hit 18 doubles this season and finished her four-year career with 911 strikeouts; she’ll continue at Lake Erie College in Ohio.

PHOTOS: Sydney Payne (left) and Madelyn Oman both made the single-game RBI list in helping Bridgman to a team record book listing. (Photos courtesy of Bridgman High School.)

Records Report: Duo Among All-Time Best

December 19, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Birmingham Brother Rice’s Alex Malzone and Grant Perry finished up careers this fall that leave them among the most accomplished pass catch duo in MHSAA history. 

Malzone, the quarterback, was added recently to 12 MHSAA record book listings; he was 29 of 42 for 419 yards in an 28-20 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s on Oct. 3 and finished this season 211 of 325 for 2,998 yards and 38 touchdowns (the touchdowns tying for eighth-most for one season). Malzone played only one game and didn’t attempt a pass on varsity as a freshman, but over the following three seasons completed 428 of 641 attempts for 6,254 yards and 69 touchdowns – his touchdowns again tied for eighth over a career. 

Perry set an MHSAA record with 105 receptions in 12 games this fall, finishing with 1,727 yards and 20 touchdowns including 14 catches for 247 yards in that Oct. 3 victory. He played two games without a catch as a freshman, but over his final three seasons caught 176 passes for 2,771 yards and 27 touchdowns. His catches and yards both rank among the top five in MHSAA history. 

Malzone has committed to sign with the University of Michigan and Perry with Northwestern University.

See below for more recent additions to MHSAA record books. Click each heading to view that record book in full. 

Baseball

  • Longtime Shepherd coach Jack Nartker was added as one of 21 who have led teams to at least 600 wins, with a 605-257-6 record since taking over in 1990. The Bluejays finished 23-13-1 this spring.

Football

  • In addition to Malzone and Perry, former Warriors standout Tony Gioutsos was added for five sacks in a game against Sterling Heights Stevenson in 1999. He went on to play at Western Michigan University.

  • Pewamo-Westphalia’s Colin Smith became the latest of four to tie an MHSAA record with a 99-yard kickoff return, bringing his back for a score against Detroit Loyola in their Division 7 Semifinal on Nov. 22.

  

Ice Hockey

  • It took some digging in a scrapbook, but Calumet’s Korey Rowe, Marc Pomroy and their teammates have been credited with setting (now since tied) the record for fastest two goals by the same team in an MHSAA game. In a 4-0 win over Hancock on Jan. 23, 1993, Rowe scored at 4:36 in the third period, with Pomroy putting a shot under the cross bar six seconds later. Rowe scored again five minutes later.

Boys Soccer

  • Tecumseh sophomore Josh Nowak became the first from his school to be listed in the MHSAA soccer record book after tallying 30 assists this fall to go with 15 goals. His assist total is tied for 16th for one season.

  • Saline’s defensive prowess the last two seasons was key in its pair of District titles and run to the Division 1 Semifinals this fall. The Hornets set an MHSAA record giving up only five goals (in 21 games) in 2013, and had 18 shutouts that season. They followed up with 14 shutouts this season, all by keeper Noah Taritas.

  • Plymouth Christian’s Lucas Albrecht capped his career with 88 goals, including 48 this fall in leading the Eagles to 14-5-1 record and appearance in their Division 4 District Final. Albrecht also had 15 assists to make the total points single-season list with 63.

Girls Soccer

  • Saline’s girls team also kept the majority of its opponents out of the net in 2014, with 18 shutouts in 25 games on the way to playing in a Division 1 Regional Final. Keeper Sofia Sweier had 16 shutouts in 21 games and has committed to play at Grand Valley State University after graduation this spring.

Softball

  • Wyoming Lee’s Amanda Emelander had one of the most powerful hitting days in MHSAA history May 21 against Hastings. She hit home runs in five straight at bats over the doubleheader, the last homer a grand slam as Lee claimed a share of the O-K Silver championship. Emelander finished the afternoon with 12 RBI, including eight in the second game, and got both pitching wins. She will play next season at Spring Arbor University.

  • Midland Bullock Creek catcher Maison Kalina capped her stellar high school career with seven entries in the MHSAA record book, including 82 hits this spring to tie for seventh-most in one season. She graduated with 231 hits, 50 doubles and 158 RBI over her four-year career that saw her hit .483 in 469 at bats. She’s continuing her career at Central Michigan University. 

PHOTO: Birmingham Brother Rice's Alex Malzone, carrying the ball during the 2013 Division 2 Final at Ford Field, ended his career among MHSAA elite in a number of passing categories.