'Lolo Show' Helping Make Grand Haven Softball Must-See During Program's Record Run
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
June 11, 2026
MOUNT PLEASANT – “The Lolo Show” continues to produce one exciting, dramatic episode after another.
In the latest installment Tuesday at Central Michigan University, Grand Haven senior pitcher Lorelei “Lolo” Chciuk did it with her bat – ripping a bases-loaded double in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Buccaneers to a 5-1 victory over Traverse City Central in a Division 1 Quarterfinal showdown at Margo Jonker Stadium.
“Lo is the star of the show, but everybody plays a role,” said 10th-year Grand Haven coach John Hall. “This was her moment at the plate. She saw the opportunity and went after it.
“That ball was absolutely rocked.”
Grand Haven (33-7-1) hopes to produce two more episodes, starting with Thursday’s 10 a.m. opening Division 1 Semifinal against Macomb Dakota – which will extend already the deepest run in school history.
Chciuk (which rhymes with shook) will be there in her lead role on the rubber, where she has piled up more than 1,000 career strikeouts.
This season, she has simply overpowered a difficult Ottawa-Kent Conference Red and nonconference schedule, with 357 strikeouts over 167 innings pitched – an average of 2.14 strikeouts per inning. She has a 19-5 record and 0.92 ERA.
“We have a bunch of seniors, and we want to keep it going,” explained Chciuk, who has a very capable No. 2 pitcher behind her in senior shortstop Bri Borgman. “Our saying right now is: Don’t think, just do.”
Chciuk has really upped her play to another level during the past three games, or episodes, if you will.
In the Regional Semifinal on June 6, Haven fell behind Rockford 4-0 in the first inning. Chciuk then came on in relief and shut down the Rams the rest of the way, striking out 14 as the Bucs rallied for a 10-4 win.
That set up the dramatic Regional Final against top-ranked and longtime nemesis Hudsonville, where Chciuk threw a no-hitter and struck out 10 more batters in a 3-1 upset win.
“My rise ball has been really good lately, and that really gives me confidence,” said Chciuk, the daughter of Harry and Amanda Chciuk. “I absolutely love my rise ball right now, and it’s getting a lot of people out.”
Chciuk certainly throws hard, with a fastball that tops out around 65 mph, but what makes her so difficult for batters to figure out is the way all of her pitches move. In addition to the fastball, she also throws a rise ball, changeup and curveball.
She is also very quick to deflect credit to her teammates, particularly the other two big bats at the top of the order in leadoff hitter Borgman and No. 2 hitter and senior catcher Bella Korf.
Borgman leads the team with a .487 average, with eight home runs, 15 doubles and 39 RBI (along with an 11-1 pitching record and 2.16 ERA). Korf is right behind her in the lineup and in batting average at .444, with team highs in home runs (10) and RBI (41).
“We’ve all come together closer and closer this season,” explained Chciuk. “There’s girls in the dugout whose role is to keep the energy up and to be ready, and there’s girls who are just trying to get on base to get things going. It takes all of us, especially right now.”
Those three are the leaders of a veteran team, which has used its age and experience to win one close game after another all season. Other seniors are centerfielder Claire Sova, third baseman Rheagan Cobb, second baseman Natalie Waite, McKayla Goossen and Paige Sitzer.
The Buccaneers, who avenged earlier losses to Rockford, Hudsonville and Traverse City Central over the past three games of this playoff run, are adding to a breakthrough spring sports season for Grand Haven – which is best known for its sandy beaches, picturesque boardwalk and annual Coast Guard Festival.
Haven won the inaugural Division 1 boys volleyball title last weekend, finished fifth and 13th, respectively, at the boys and girls Track & Field Finals, and celebrated a national title in the pole vault by senior Izzy Robbins.
Now the softball team is playing much later into June than expected.
“We were supposed to have our end-of-year banquet on Wednesday night, but we had to postpone that,” said Hall, who is assisted by Jamie Burton, Geoff Franz and Ben Korf. “This team is knocking down walls and breaking through ceilings that Grand Haven has never done before.”
After this weekend, both Chciuk and Borgman (a Ferris State commit) will play in the State Champs/Turnin’ 2 all-star game on June 15 at the University of Michigan’s Alumni Field.
Then Chciuk will be taking her show on the road to Saginaw Valley State, where the 3.53 GPA-student plans to pursue a pre-veterinary career path, majoring in cellular and molecular biology.
But that was the last thing on her mind after Tuesday’s thrilling extra-innings win.
“Right now, I just want to sleep,” said Chciuk, who pitched all 10 innings in Tuesday’s win, in addition to delivering the decisive blow at the plate. “We talk about making memories and making core memories.
“This win today was huge because it means that Grand Haven softball is going to MSU for the first time ever. Yeah, this is definitely a core memory that will stay with me forever.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Lorelei Chciuk makes her move toward the plate during Tuesday's Quarterfinal win at CMU. (Middle) Chciuk, right, has led Grand Haven on its deepest MHSAA Tournament run. (Photos by Josh Walters/Local Sports Journal.)
Rogers City Makes Dream Come True
June 14, 2014
By Kelsey Pence
Special for Second Half
EAST LANSING – Nikki Radke and Morgan Hall couldn’t have dreamed up a better senior season.
Rogers City has been out for revenge ever since Kalamazoo Christian eliminated the Hurons in last year’s Division 4 Semifinal.
Radke and Hall played a big part in making that dream come true Saturday as the Hurons beat the Comets 3-2 in to earn Rogers City its first MHSAA softball title.
“It’s my senior year, and I couldn’t have ended it any better way,” Hall said.
Kalamazoo Christian (28-17) scored first, in the first inning, but Rogers City responded in the third.
Logan Fleming and Courtney Streich both reached on Comets errors, and Sarah Meredith brought Fleming home with a single to left field. The Hurons (34-6) left three on base – but took the lead in the fifth inning.
Hall reached base and Alexa Quaine doubled down the third-base line to score her for the go-ahead run.
The Comets had a chance to put up another run in the sixth inning, but left two stranded.
“We have a fantastic infield, and the defense was there again today,” Hurons coach Karl Grambau said. “We knew they were going to put it in play and we were ready for it, and Nikki was just incredible.”
Radke pitched a complete game, striking out three, walking none and giving up five hits.
“Nikki is a great pitcher and a really underrated pitcher,” Grambau said. “She doesn’t strike out a lot of girls because the girls put a lot of balls in play.”
Meredith walked to start the seventh inning and Hall brought her home with a double to left field to give the Hurons a 2-run lead.
“It turned out the be a game-winning hit, and I could never have expected that and I am honored to have that opportunity now,” Hall said. “I am just glad Sarah ran her butt off to get in.”
Hall’s hit was indeed a big one as Kalamazoo Christian found some magic with two outs left in the bottom of the seventh inning.
After Radke struck out the first two batters, Cara Knasel double to deep right field. Erica Block then singled to left, which put up another run for the Comets and pulled them within one of the lead.
“I really wasn’t nervous at all,” Radke said. “I lived in the moment and realized it was my last softball game ever. It got a little nerve-racking once they scored that run.”
Madison Locker connected on the next pitch, but it was caught in left field to end the ballgame.
“Our motto was to believe and achieve, and we definitely went in believing and we ended up achieving,” Radke said.
Hall praised her senior classmate.
“Nikki has been four years in the making,” Hall said of Radke. “She has dedicated her summers and her winter to pitching. She got us here last year and took us farther this year. We can never thank her enough.”
Rebekah VanDam took the loss for the 2013 champs, striking out four, walking three and giving up eight hits in seven innings of work.
“We knocked them out of the tournament last year, so it was kind of a revenge factor for them,” Kalamazoo Christian coach Terry Reynolds said. “They played hard against us earlier this year, and they repeated that again today. They played great defense, just wonderful defense.
“The pitcher kept us off-paced. She really didn’t surprise us with anything; we just couldn’t touch her. We couldn’t get that key hit when we needed it.”
Grambau said the win is one for the community.
“It’s unbelievable for us and northern Michigan to get this victory,” he said. “Last year we got shut out and then we beat them earlier this year in a tournament. We knew it was anybody’s game, and we are just happy to get this win. It means so much for our program and for our girls.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Rogers City players are cheered on by their fans after winning the Division 4 championship at Secchia Stadium. (Middle) Hurons centerfielder Cassie Brege throws the ball in during Saturday’s Final.