Softball Stars Finish as Record Breakers
August 6, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This spring saw the final high school games for a number of Michigan's softball standouts – including a pair of hitters who now sit atop categories in the MHSAA record book.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart’s Sara Hansen finished with single-season records for runs scored and hits, the career hits record and the consecutive game hits record with 91 straight dating back to her freshman season. New Lothrop’s Morgan Rombach crushed the former single-season doubles record and also tied the career record for doubles set in 2010.
Hansen finished with 305 hits, and the game her hitting streak ended – the second of a doubleheader on April 22 – was the only game over her final three seasons that she didn't hit safely at least once. Hansen also finished second in MHSAA history with 252 runs after setting the single-season runs record of 82 in 2012. Her career batting average of .567 sits eighth on the MHSAA list, and she received the Miss Softball position player award as the top senior non-pitcher this spring. She will begin her softball career at Central Michigan University this fall.
Rombach finished this season with 35 doubles – including three doubles in four games this spring – to break the former single-season record of 27.
Her 78 doubles tied the career mark set by North Branch’s Tonya Nicole Calkins, a 2010 graduate. Rombach will play next season at Mott Community College.
Read on for the rest of this week’s MHSAA record book additions, and click on each heading to see the entire record book for that sport.
Softball
- Fenton’s 37-5 finish this spring was keyed in part by a number of strong hitters who are now listed. Ellie Cowger’s name was added eight times – for season runs (71), career runs (203), season hits (78), career hits (240), season doubles (16), season stolen bases (62), career stolen bases (213) and consecutive game hitting streak (35). The hitting streak is tied for third longest and her career stolen bases are tied for fourth in MHSAA history. Teammate Katey Cairnduff was added for 71 hits this season including 19 doubles, and she’s on the career doubles list with 34 with one more season to play. Emma Brant also was added for 73 hits this season. As a team, Fenton set an MHSAA record with 512 hits, ranked third with a .434 batting average and also posted high-ranking totals of 91 doubles, 321 RBI and 408 runs along with its 37 wins.
- Caledonia’s 36-3 season saw a number of entries make the MHSAA record listings. The Fighting Scots set an MHSAA record with 107 team doubles – with Ashley Cross (21), McKenzie Butgereit (18) and Andrea Gerloski (17) all making the individual record listing. Caledonia’s wins, team hits (470) and team batting average (.424) also made lists, with the average ranking fourth all-time and the hits ranking sixth.
- Holt’s Olivia Cottom also reached the single-season doubles list with 16 this spring. She hit .455 overall for the Rams.
- Vicksburg’s Shaidan Knapp made the single-season runs list with 68 as a freshman. She finished her first varsity season with a .511 average, five home runs and 35 RBI.
Baseball
- A pair of Jackson standouts graduated this spring with a number of totals that made MHSAA lists. Tyler Kyro finished his four-year career with 179 hits and 119 stolen bases, while Nathan Bethel had 47 doubles and scored 150 runs over four seasons. Bethel also made the single-season doubles list with 19 this year. As a team, Jackson made the team stolen bases list for the second straight season, this time with 171 to go with 196 steals in 2013.
Boys Basketball
- Ann Arbor Skyline’s 6-foot-9 Tristan Wilson finished his career this winter with 106 blocked shots, good to make that single-season list. He averaged 14.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.2 blocked shots per game in leading Skyline to a Class A Quarterfinal. He’s signed with Wayne State University for next season.
Girls Basketball
- Teagan Reeves capped her four-season career at Three Rivers by making the career lists for free throws (346), rebounds (1,058) and blocked shots (355) after posting 322 rebounds and 117 blocks this winter. Her career free throws rank 17th, her rebounds rank 11th and her career blocks rank ninth. She finished third in the Miss Basketball vote this season and will play at Western Michigan University.
Boys Lacrosse
- A number of top contributors put up record-list totals in leading Detroit Country Day to this season’s Division 2 championship. Emilio Sosa was added for eight goals in a game against Clarkston on May 6, plus 76 goals total this season and 82 points. Cooper Belanger made the single-season assists list with 46 and the points list with 85, while Jack Bergmann graduated with 117 career assists and 241 career points. As a team, Detroit Country Day totaled the most goals in the MHSAA boys record book, 295.
PHOTOS: (Top) Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart's Sara Hansen, here in 2013, graduated with four MHSAA offensive records. (Middle) New Lothrop's Morgan Rombach set the single-season and tied the career doubles records this spring.
South Lyon East Softball Blasts Way to Top of All-Time Home Run Chart
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 14, 2022
The South Lyon East blasted past the previous home run record of 63 last season, drilling 70 over 35 games during a successful 2021.
That previous record was set by New Baltimore Anchor Bay in 2019, when four teams hit 53 or more homers. The 2020 season wasn't played because of COVID-19, and the next-listed team for 2021 is Three Rivers with 48 home runs.
East finished 25-9-1 and was led in its record chase by senior Lauren Sciborski, who tied for fifth on the individual single-season home run list with 22. She’s continuing her career at Northwestern.
See below for more recent record book additions in softball, plus baseball, girls lacrosse and girls and boys soccer.
Baseball
Rudyard’s EJ Suggitt was 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBI in a 13-0 win over Pickford last June 4, and he made the record book single-game stolen bases list with five. He’s a senior this school year.
Marshall’s Killian Bies tied for sixth-most times hit by pitches during the 2021 season, with 22 times reaching base that way over 32 games. Bies is a junior this season.
Girls Lacrosse
A pair of Dearborn Divine Child juniors earned the school’s first girls lacrosse record book entries in 2021. Jenna Allie was added four times, including twice for single-game highs of 10 goals and her 68 goals total over 15 games. Goalie Sam Stevens was added for a single-game high of 18 saves and 153 saves total for 18 games.
Girls Soccer
Elk Rapids’ Lauren Bingham earned her first record book entry with an outstanding sophomore season in 2021. She scored 31 goals to make the single-season scoring list, and added 12 assists.
Boys Soccer
Ryan Serwa capped his Berkley career this past fall considered again among the state’s best. He didn’t allow a goal over his first seven games to earn one of three record book entries – the other two added for 13 shutouts for the season and 24 over his three-season varsity career.
Marshall’s 2018 team won its District and finished 23-1-1, its only defeat to Grand Rapids Christian 1-0 in a Division 2 Regional Semifinal. Marshall made the team record book lists for giving up only 10 goals that season, with 17 shutouts. Additionally, four-year varsity player Jake Lyon was a junior on that team and graduated after the 2019 season with 52 assists to make the career list in that category. Lyon plays at Hope College.
Softball
Shepherd then-sophomore Liv Regenfuss moved to the top of the list for hitters with two home runs in the same inning when she blasted a pair during the fifth inning of a win over Pinconning on May 20, 2021. Now a junior, she’s one of 18 on that record book list.
A trio of Watervliet standouts were added for accomplishments during the 2021 season. Samantha Dietz was added for scoring 79 runs and stealing 62 bases, both over 40 games, and Abby Whorton hit 18 doubles over 34 games. Grace Chisek was added twice for driving in six runs in a game and a third time for back-to-back home runs in one contest. Dietz’ runs tied for ninth on that list. She’s a junior this season, and Whorton and Chisek are both sophomores.
Leslie made team record book lists with 408 hits, 77 doubles and 320 RBI during the 2021 season when it finished 33-8, with a trio of individuals receiving similar recognition. Gabby Waldofsky is listed for 69 runs and 83 hits over 41 games, while Jalen Fossitt had 21 doubles over 41 games and Ada Bradford hit 18 doubles over 40. All three players are sophomores this season.
PHOTO The South Lyon East softball team commemorates its record 70 home runs during last season’s Division 1 District. (Photo courtesy of South Lyon East softball.)