Grass Lake Wins Matchup of Aces, Rosel Pitches Ravenna to Historic Semifinal Win
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
June 12, 2026
EAST LANSING – The highly-anticipated matchup between the previous two Division 3 champions, Evart and Grass Lake, lived up to the billing Friday.
A clutch go-ahead hit in the fifth inning and a solid pitching performance from senior Morgan Conrad helped Grass Lake upset top-ranked and the previously-unbeaten Wildcats 3-2 in the morning’s first Semifinal at Secchia Stadium.
Fourth-ranked Grass Lake (36-5) will attempt to finish a repeat run at 3 p.m. Saturday against Ravenna.
Evart had won the Division 3 championship in 2024 and entered Friday with a perfect 42-0 record.
“Evart is a very solid team, and I’ve followed them for years,” Warriors coach Roger Cook said. “They have a very good tradition, so coming in we kind of talked about the other team, but it was about us and the ball and we try not to look at everything else. The less they have to think about, the better. To be with this group of wonderful human beings for another day is a blessing.”
Grass Lake, which returned five starters this spring from a year ago, relied on its youngsters to deliver a pair of timely hits.
In the third inning, freshman Mikayla Jurek scorched a ball to the base of the wall to score Ava Hemp and give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
Evart answered in the bottom of the inning when starting pitcher Kyrah Gray ripped a solo home run over the left field wall to even the score.
But Grass Lake sophomore Chloe Hollifield produced the biggest moment of the game in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and a full count. She laced a shot up the middle to score the eventual game-winning runs.
“I was just thinking bat on ball,” Hollifield said. “Get a hit, or just get on base in general to score a run. Whatever I could do to help my team.”
Added Cook: “Chloe struggled at the beginning of the year, but she has really come through. She’s a great kid who has listened and grinded, and to have her in the spotlight with some of the other girls coming through was phenomenal.”
Evart closed the gap in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI double from senior Keira Elder, but Conrad closed the game with two shutout innings.
The Wildcats tried to rally in the seventh after a throwing error by Grass Lake put the leadoff batter on base. After an intentional walk to put two on with one out, Conrad retired the final two batters.
“I wasn’t stressed because I trust my team so much,” said Conrad, who had two of Grass Lake’s six hits. “We’ve been in many situations where we’ve had close games, and I know to stay calm. Getting worried doesn’t help my team, and I knew with a young team the girls could be nervous, but everyone was so positive and so ready to play.”
Mattisen Tiedt went 2-for-4 for Evart, while Gray struck out 10 and scored two runs.
“I don't remember how many times two girls that have won a state championship have faced each other but that happened today with these two starting pitchers,” Evart coach Shaun Gray said. “I thought both pitchers did awesome. But unfortunately, somebody had to win and somebody had to lose and we were on the wrong side of it today.
“They know they lost the game and they are disappointed, but disappointment is the farthest thing on my mind right now. I’m very proud of these girls. We’d never been down here once, so to be here three times in the last five years has been very special and something that can never be taken from us.”
Ravenna 7, New Lothrop 0
It took a while for Ravenna’s bats to wake up Friday. But once they did, it allowed the third-ranked Bulldogs to make school history by becoming the first team to advance to a Final.
Junior pitcher Natalie Rosel tossed a two-hitter, and Ravenna (38-1) exploded for six runs in the final two innings. It was Ravenna’s first Semifinal win after losses in their previous two trips.
“Ravenna softball has never been in a state finals game, so this is a huge accomplishment,” Ravenna coach Dave Sherman said. “I feel good about it, our coaching staff feels good about it and our girls obviously feel really good about it. It’s a compliment to our coaching staff because they do a great job, and the girls leaned on what they’ve been working on for a long time.”
Rosel’s complete-game shutout included 13 strikeouts. She didn’t walk a batter.
“This is amazing,” Rosel said. “We’ve worked really hard for this for years. Ever since we were little it’s all we’ve worked toward. It’s exciting to finally be here.”
The Bulldogs struck early with an RBI triple by Emily Postema in the first inning to make it 1-0. However, New Lothrop senior hurler Mallory Heroux silenced Ravenna over the next four innings before the Bulldogs’ potent offense came alive.
Ravenna scored three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings. Sydney Morrissey plated three runs with a bases-loaded triple in the sixth to push the Bulldogs’ lead to 4-0, and Reese Herremans blasted a two-run home run in the seventh.
“Give credit to their pitcher because she did a good job of keeping us off balance, but we made some adjustments and the two big innings we had we just hit the ball hard,” Sherman said. “A lot of girls contributed, and it’s been a team effort all year long. Today it was our top and middle.”
Unranked New Lothrop (33-11) was making its first Semifinal appearance since winning the Class C title in 1982.
The Hornets started five freshmen.
“Ravenna was tough, but this was a good thing to start the tradition of getting down here,” New Lothrop coach Chad Henige said. “Ravenna has been here, this is routine for them, so getting down here was great and it’s good for the girls and good for the program.”
Postema, Herremans and Riley Homoly combined for seven of Ravenna’s 10 hits.
PHOTOS (Top) Grass Lake pitcher Morgan Conrad makes her move toward the plate during Friday’s Semifinal win over Evart. (Middle) A Ravenna runner slides into third base while New Lothrop's Leigha Eagan awaits a throw.
Mendon Focused on Taking Last Remaining Step to Claim 1st Finals Championship
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
April 3, 2024
MENDON – Mendon's run to the Division 4 softball championship game last spring may have shocked outsiders, but it wasn't a surprise to the Hornets or co-coaches Steve Butler and Mike Smith.
Mendon gave four-time reigning champion Unionville-Sebewaing a major scare before falling 5-4 to the Patriots in the Final at Michigan State University's Secchia Stadium.
But there could be a new Division 4 champion in the near future as Mendon, ranked No. 10 in the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association preseason poll, returns all but two players from its 2023 squad.
In finishing 35-6, the Hornets set a program record for most wins in a single season last spring and also were Southwest 10 Conference champs, claimed District and Regional trophies, pulled off dramatic wins over Fowler (13-12) in the Quarterfinal and Johannesburg-Lewiston (4-2) in the Semifinal before a seventh-inning rally fell short in the loss to USA.
That was Mendon's first Finals appearance since 1992, when it lost in the Class D championship game 2-0 to Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes.
While Butler admits last year's run was a bit unexpected, he said the Hornets showed their potential by winning a prestigious early-season event. With a squad featuring just two seniors and 10 sophomores and freshmen, Mendon defeated three state-ranked teams, all via the 10-run mercy rule, to win the Holton Tournament.
"Quite honestly, I figured we'd be lucky to go 8-5 those first couple of weeks last season. We had a difficult early-season schedule. Winning the Holton Tournament was a big momentum builder for us," Butler said.
Butler and Smith, both former standout athletes at Mendon, took over the softball program seven years ago.
"At Mendon, the goal is always to make it to the state championship no matter what sport you're in,” Butler said. “Mike and I have played a lot of baseball and softball over the years. We both had daughters coming up through the program. So when the coaching opening came up, we just felt our knowledge and desire to win would help us provide the program with the best experience and chance for the girls to get to the championship game.”
Modest goals were set the first few seasons of their coaching tenure.
"That first year we set a goal of winning 20 games, and we fell one game short of that. Then we set a goal of winning a District, getting state-ranked and getting that Regional trophy. Then the goal was to become state-ranked, win Districts and Regionals and then we set the bar higher and higher," Butler said.
The experienced Hornets hope to complete their mission of winning it all this spring.
"This is a special group of kids, probably one of the best to ever come through this school. The tenacity and ferociousness they show is amazing. There's no quit in them, and that's evident in every sport they play. They believe they can win every game, are calm under pressure and work hard. They just have that championship aura and won't be satisfied until they win one," Butler said.
Several Mendon softball players were members of the state-ranked volleyball team this past fall and the basketball squad that reached the Division 4 Quarterfinals last month.
Abby and Ally Butler, Steve's junior twin daughters, return for their third season on Mendon's softball varsity, along with classmates Brielle Bailey and Kaidee Gonser.
Abby, a two-year starter, can play all three outfield positions and is working hard on being a slap hitter.
"I feel like I'm very useful in right field, especially when Rowan (Allen) is pitching for us. Her speed is a big adjustment for teams with right-handed hitters, so they tend to hit the ball more to me," Abby Butler said. "I'd like to be a more versatile hitter at the plate. I enjoy the other team not really knowing what I'm gonna do when I'm up there."
Abby Butler hit .302, Ally Butler .287, and Bailey .330 last season. Ally Butler is 15-0 for her career as a varsity pitcher and has played in more than 50 games. She'll be Mendon's No. 2 pitcher.
"We probably could've used her more as pitcher before now, but she is our biggest leader on the team. The kids really look up to her," Steve Butler said.
Ally Butler has a lot of trust in her teammates as well. "I think I communicate well with my team and lift them up when we're down. We have lots of trust in each other and are confident in ourselves," she said.
Bailey becomes the full-time starter at third after splitting time there with Carlie Doehring, who graduated.
"Brielle played third base and spent a lot of time as our designated hitter. She came up with a lot of big hits, including the game-winning RBI and a couple doubles in our Quarterfinal win over Fowler," Steve Butler said.
Gonser returns at catcher. She hit .496 with 60 hits and 34 runs scored last season. "Kaidee has improved defensively and is the best hitter on our team. She does a nice job back there for us. We hope to get her more rest this season so she's more effective for us the whole season," Butler said.
Sophomore Rowan Allen takes over as Mendon's No. 1 pitcher replacing Lauren Schabes, a three-time all-stater. Allen posted a 12-3 record with 150 strikeouts and a 1.64 ERA in 2023, and batted .419 with 44 hits, 49 runs scored and 31 RBI.
"Rowan had a phenomenal freshman season pitching. We're looking forward to seeing where she can take us this year. She's been in lots of big-pressure moments and has beaten many ranked teams," Butler said. "Her change-up pitch is her equalizer; it's nasty and she also throws a good fastball and dropball."
Allen closed out Mendon's Quarterfinal win over Fowler and locked down USA the last two innings in the championship game, giving the Hornets a chance to win in the seventh.
“My biggest strength is my fastball and being able to go to a changeup and being able to mix it up whenever I want,” Allen said. “Our teammates are always there to pick us up, and they never let us down. We have the confidence we need to reach our goals."
Other key sophomores include Mattea Bingaman, Gracie Schultz, Cienna Nightingale, Brooke Gerth and Jadyn Samson. Samson, Mendon's starting shortstop and No. 3 pitcher, fills another vital role as the lead-off hitter. She set a school record as a freshman with 46 stolen bases and was thrown out only once, also batting over .435 with 53 hits, 60 runs scored and 35 RBI.
"Jadyn is the leader of our infield. She covers a lot of ground and doesn't make many errors. We're looking forward to having her and our entire infield back the next two years. She threw only one inning for us last year, but she's another hidden gem on the mound and will see some time there as well," Butler said.
"The experience last year was huge,” Samson added. “I have to keep working hard to be productive. We're young, but I think everyone is going to continue to grow. I feel the energy I bring to my position is a big help, and I'm always talking to my teammates. We are all in this for each other, like family.”
Nightingale is another key returning starter at first base. "Cienna is the best defensive first baseman we've ever coached. It's not the easiest position to play. She's very agile, quick, can scoop balls out of the dirt, stretch high and makes everyone else look good," Butler said.
Bingaman is Mendon's centerfielder. She finished last spring with a .434 average, 52 hits and 31 runs scored. "Mattea has a really strong arm and is very fast," Butler noted.
Gerth is pegged as Mendon's top utility player, while Schultz is another valuable contributor in the outfield.
"Depending on who's pitching and where we move people around, I feel we are one of the best defensive teams in the state. Our pitchers don't give up many runs. Offensively, five of our top nine hitters batted over .400. I expect our lineup to have more power too. We're more of a gap-hitting team though. We take a lot of walks, and we stress being aggressive on the basepaths," Steve Butler said. "All 10 of our players are in the mix and could be starters.
"The biggest thing is these girls feel they should've won a state title last season. They were immediately focused on this season after that loss. After their basketball Quarterfinals loss, I got a text at work at 11 p.m. from one of them wanting to know when softball practice started the next day. They are ready to go."
Mendon joined the Southern Central Athletic Association at the beginning of this school year, and preseason Division 4 honorable mention Burr Oak is among opponents on the schedule. The Hornets’ goals are to win the league and get back to Michigan State with a chance to hoist the first-place trophy.
"Repeating what we accomplished last year won't be easy because now everyone expects it,” Butler said. “We won't sneak up on anyone. It's a tough road. All the teams we played last year will be there again in the championship hunt.”
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Mendon starting shortstop Jadyn Samson fields a ground ball during a home game last season against Kalamazoo Christian. (2) Rowan Allen pitches for Mendon in a 2023 Regional game at Colon. (3) Abby Butler makes contact during last season’s Division 4 Final against USA. (4) Ally Butler readies to make a throw from her spot at second base. (Photos by Nicci Plummer.)