Forgettable Start, Unforgettable Finish
June 13, 2015
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
EAST LANSING — The goal for Warren Regina after eight games wasn't to win an MHSAA softball championship.
It was much simpler than that: Just win one game.
Although records don't exist for such things, it's safe to assume that Regina is the first team to win an MHSAA championship after starting a season 0-8 (without forfeits).
The journey from frustration to elation concluded Saturday with a 5-0 victory over Caledonia in the Division 1 title game at Michigan State University.
Regina finished with a 27-16 record but more importantly, was 7-0 during the MHSAA tournament. The Saddlelites allowed only eight runs and had three shutouts in those seven games.
Once Regina's record hit 3-11, a team meeting was convened.
"We talked about, 'Hey, we have a lot of team talent. Why waste it this year?'" said senior pitcher Marissa Tiano, who pitched a two-hitter and struck out nine against Caledonia.
It was the kind of start that Regina's players can make light of in retrospect.
"We actually made jokes about it," said Regina junior Nicole Roeske, who was 3 for 3 in the Final. "It's a whole different team, like a family now. At the beginning, we were frustrated with losing."
Legendary Regina coach Diane Laffey said that, in her role as athletic director, she was partially to blame for the slow start.
"I was probably stupid," said Laffey, who has won 1,066 games in 45 years as Regina's coach. "I front-loaded the schedule and probably shouldn't have. Of those eight losses, two were to Mercy, two were to Ladywood, two were to Romeo, two were to Dakota. Those are all good teams. We weren't losing to flukes, but it gets really frustrating."
The only frustration Saturday was experienced by the Caledonia hitters, who couldn't get to third base and reached second only twice. The Fighting Scots' most reliable way to reach base was getting hit by pitches. They were hit three times, walked twice and had only two singles.
"We didn't show the kind of team we are today," Caledonia coach Tom Kaechele said. "She had us guessing up there. We just didn't adjust, but that's the game of softball. That's why you compete at this level. We just played at the highest level we could in Division 1, and there are 199 other schools who would like to be here just like us."
The game was scoreless through three innings before Regina broke the deadlock in the top of the fourth. Roeske led off with a single and scored on a two-out triple to right-center field by Hailey Reese.
"Knowing my team, I knew all we needed was one big hit and we'd win the game," Reese said. "I had faith in them."
The Saddlelites busted it open with a four-run fifth inning.
On a 3-2 pitch, Riley Hison lined a double deep to left field to score two runs. Hison moved to third on a throwing error and scored on a pitch in the dirt. Sydney Spatafore scored the final run of the fifth just before a tag on a runner going from second to third ended the inning.
Caledonia (34-5) had batters hit by pitches in each of the last three innings, but neither got past first base.
Regina has a 6-0 record in MHSAA Finals, winning its first title since going on a four-year run from 2004-07.
"Our picture goes up in the gym along with the other ones," Tiano said. "It feels great."
Caledonia was playing beyond the regional round for the first time.
"We're disappointed, obviously," Kaechele said. "This team has overcome a lot of adversity this year. To be 34-5 is an awfully good season. I told them to make sure you celebrate this moment and look at the accomplishments you've had this year. We've never been here before. We've never won a Regional before. You need to celebrate that for the program, the community and yourselves."
PHOTOS: (Top) Longtime Regina coach Diane Laffey hoists her team’s championship trophy Saturday. (Middle) Regina’s Lauren Buckowski tries to beat a throw to first base with Hannah Horvath covering.
Performance: Richmond's Erin Shuboy
July 1, 2016
Erin Shuboy
Richmond freshman – Softball
During a championship weekend of headline-grabbing pitching performances, the most talked about likely came from Shuboy, who threw a no-hitter to lead Richmond to its first MHSAA softball championship with a 2-0 victory over Vicksburg at Michigan State University. Shuboy shut down a lineup batting .433 to earn the Michigan National Guard “Performance of the Week” for June 13-19.
Shuboy struck out seven and walked only one batter, following a Semifinal where she struck out eight and walked two in a 6-2 win over Escanaba. Batting cleanup, she also drove in runs in both games. She finished this spring with a 17-3 record and 199 strikeouts, and carried a .348 batting average into the final week.
Shuboy’s mom, Bridgette (nee Moore), also was a standout pitcher for Richmond coach Howard Stuart, who has won 954 games over 38 seasons leading the program. Erin Shuboy also plays volleyball and basketball.
Coach Howard Stuart said: “We had to slow her down several times, because even the official said, ‘She’s working too fast. Slow her down.’ So we had to physically slow her down. She was in such a hurry to get the ball and throw it. And there was no mention of no-hitter. Not one word was said to her at all. At the end of the game, she didn’t know. She was so focused. ... What makes her special is her confidence, I think. She believes in herself. She’s not just a pitcher; she pounds the ball. (In the Semifinal), she hit a ball down the left field line that was a line shot, went 150 feet five feet off the ground before it ever slowed down, just a screamer. She can hit. She can do everything. She fields her position well. She used to play shortstop. She plays first base. She’s a pitcher. She’s a solid kid.”
Performance Point: “I didn’t really know it was (a no-hitter) until someone told me. This is just crazy. I just gotta stay focused about every batter, keep taking a batter at a time and play at a time. My change-up was working really good; it normally doesn’t work that good. My fastball, the outside corner, that really helped us out.”
Like mother, like daughter: “She’s always helped me out with everything. She taught me how to throw. She gave me so much advice over the last couple of years. It’s just been a great experience having her.”
Pitching first, batting second: “I like pitching better. It’s just fun being the leader on the mound.”
Learning from a legend: (Coach Stuart) knows what he’s doing. It’s awesome to have him here to tell me what I’m doing wrong and help me with my errors. (He taught me) always keep your composure on the mound and never let anything get to you.”
Sending out the seniors: “I just wanted to help them out, have them have a good end to their senior year. And a state championship would be a good way. … We predicted we were going to have a good season, but I didn’t know we were going to be state champs.”
– Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2015-16 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard recognized a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2015-16 honorees
June 15: Andrew Walker, Battle Creek Lakeview boys golf - Read
June 8: Sekayi Bracey, East Kentwood girls track & field - Read
June 1: Anna Jefferson, Oak Park girls track & field - Read
May 25: Connor Bandel, Oxford boys track & field - Read
May 18: Kalyn Breckenridge, Birch Run girls soccer - Read
May 11: Morgan Beadlescomb, Algonac boys track & field - Read
May 4: Abby Krzywiecki, Farmington Hills Mercy softball - Read
April 27: Mike Mokma, Holland Christian baseball - Read
April 20: Abby Divozzo, Cadillac girls soccer - Read
March 30: Cassius Winston, Detroit U-D Jesuit boys basketball - Read
March 23: Kierra Fletcher, Warren Cousino girls basketball - Read
March 16: Jacob Montague, Grosse Pointe South swimming & diving - Read
March 9: Kyle Tuttle, St. Charles boys bowling - Read
March 2: Brittney Schnicke, Caledonia girls bowling - Read
Feb. 24: Kamari Newman, Detroit East English boys basketball - Read
Feb. 17: Jason Whitens, Powers North Central boys basketball - Read
Feb. 10: Rachel Hogan, Grand Ledge gymnastics - Read
Feb. 3: Nehemiah Mork, Midland Dow swimming & diving - Read
Jan. 27: Mardrekia Cook, Muskegon girls basketball - Read
Jan. 20: Sage Castillo, Hartland wrestling - Read
Jan. 13: Rob Zofchak, Dexter swimming & diving - Read
Jan. 6: Tyler Deming, Caro wrestling – Read
Dec. 15: Jordan Weber, East Jordan boys basketball – Read
Dec. 8: Kaitlyn Geers, Kent City girls basketball – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Richmond’s Erin Shuboy steps toward the plate during the Division 2 Final on June 18. (Middle) Shuboy unloads a pitch during her no-hit performance.