D3 Softball Final: Clinton 1st a 2nd Time
June 16, 2012
BATTLE CREEK – Clinton seniors Tierney Nelson, Haley Mercy and Abi Clark finished their four-year varsity careers and fourth trips to Bailey Park with their team’s second-straight Division 3 championship Saturday.
Nelson struck out seven and gave up six hits as the Redskins were outhit 6-5, but made good on their opportunities for three runs in the third inning and another in the fourth.
Junior Cami Prater hit a solo home run for Clinton (43-1), and all three seniors also drove in a run.
Gladstone, making its third championship game appearance in nine seasons, gave up only one earned run and got a combined five strikeouts from junior Alison Austin and sophomore Christine Sharon, who each threw three innings. Senior rightfielder Katie Becker had three hits and senior leftfielder Whitney Wells had two.
Clinton entered the tournament ranked No.1, and Gladstone (30-6-1) was No. 7. Click for a complete box score.
PHOTO: Clinton senior Tierney Nelson prepares to unleash a pitch during Saturday's Division 3 Final.
Performance of the Week: Mendon's Cienna Nightingale
June 19, 2025
Cienna Nightingale ♦ Mendon
Junior ♦ Softball
Nightingale became the fourth sibling from her family to win an MHSAA Finals championship, doing so in historic style. She was one of three Mendon players with two hits and drove in a team-high four runs to help the Hornets past Unionville-Sebewaing 11-1 in the Division 4 championship game at Secchia Stadium. The win clinched Mendon’s first Finals title in softball and ended USA’s five-season championship streak.
An all-state first-team selection this season and as a sophomore, Cienna joined three siblings in winning Finals titles for Mendon – her brother CJ was on a football champion in 2007, brother Chance won a football title in 2011 and sister Cierra won a Finals in volleyball in 2018. Cienna, the Hornets’ first baseman, also had a team-high two hits in her team’s 4-2 Semifinal win over Hillman to start the weekend. Nightingale also plays volleyball and basketball.
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@mhsaasports 🥎POW: Cienna Nightingale #bridgerton #alani #book #tiktok #phone #red #heart #part2 #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
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Previous 2024-25 honorees
June 12: Shaelyn Perry, South Lyon United girls lacrosse - Report
June 5: Brock Morris, Southfield Christian track & field - Report
May 30: Chloe Qin, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood tennis - Report
May 23: Drew Goik, Bay City Western golf - Report
May 15: Sydney Kuhn, Saginaw Swan Valley track & field - Report
May 8: Ryan Bosch, Fruitport baseball - Report
May 1: Jackson Lam, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix track & field - Report
April 25: Isabelle Horvath, Bangor softball - Report
April 18: Presley Jones, Sterling Heights Stevenson soccer - Report
April 11: Olivia Jasniewicz, Troy soccer - Report
March 27: Katie Spicer, Fowler basketball - Report
March 21: Moses & Markus Blackwell; Warren Lincoln basketball - Report
March 13: Keyshawn Summerville, Lansing Sexton basketball - Report
March 6: Maggie Buurma, Fowlerville wrestling - Report
Feb. 28: Maren Studt, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep skiing - Report
Feb. 21: Olive Krueger, Marquette swimming - Report
Feb. 14: Hunter Lemmon, Fraser swimming - Report
Feb. 7: Aubrey Hillard, Rochester competitive cheer - Report
Jan. 31: Wyatt Spalo, Reed City wrestling - Report
Jan. 24: Olivia Flynn, Harbor Springs basketball - Report
Jan. 17: Levi Rozema, Holland Christian swimming - Report
Jan. 10: McRecco McFadden, Burton Bentley basketball - Report
Dec. 18: Nash Leonard, Bay City Western hockey - Report
Dec. 11: Blake Cosby, Dundee wrestling - Report
Dec. 4: Keaton Hendricks, Zeeland West football - Report
Nov. 29: Kate Simon, East Grand Rapids swimming - Report
Nov. 22: Ella Kokaly, Essexville Garber volleyball - Report
Nov. 15: Caroline Bryan, Grosse Pointe South swimming - Report
Nov. 8: Kaylie Livingston, Whitmore Lake cross country - Report
Oct. 25: Oliver Caldwell, Grand Rapids West Catholic tennis - Report
Oct. 18: Alex Graham, Detroit Cass Tech football - Report
Oct. 11: Victoria Garces, Midland Dow cross country - Report
Oct. 4: Asher Clark, Bay City John Glenn soccer - Report
Sept. 26: Campbell Flynn, Farmington Hills Mercy volleyball - Report
Sept. 19: TJ Hansen, Freeland cross country - Report
Sept. 12: Jordan Peters, Grayling soccer - Report
Sept. 6: Gabe Litzner, Sault Ste. Marie cross country - Report
Aug. 30: Grace Slocum, Traverse City St. Francis golf - Report
(Photos by Nicci Plummer/Behind the Lens Photography.)