Monroe St Mary Repeats, Pitch Perfectly

June 18, 2016

By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half

EAST LANSING — The best Division 3 softball teams still haven't found a way to solve Meghan Beaubien.

Unfortunately for them, they'll have to undertake that frustrating task for one more year.

Beaubien threw only the second perfect game ever in an MHSAA championship softball game, as Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central repeated as Division 3 champion with a 6-0 victory over Grandville Calvin Christian on Saturday at Michigan State University.

The junior star, who committed to the University of Michigan her freshman year, struck out 15 of the 21 batters she faced. She was perfect in 12 innings of the semifinal and championship games this weekend.

"Winning the state championship is just great," Beaubien said. "I can't even describe it. A couple of years ago, nobody would have ever thought our team would be here. Especially winning it back-to-back means a lot. It's a perfect game. That's always good, but it's more important that we win a state championship. I want to give my team the best chance there is to do that. Not letting anyone on base, that works out pretty well."

The only other perfect game in an MHSAA championship game was thrown by Tricia Van Der Slik of Kalamazoo Christian against Saginaw Swan Valley in the 2002 Division 3 Final.

It was the 15th no-hitter ever in an MHSAA Final — and the second of the afternoon on the Secchia Stadium diamond to go with one by Richmond's Erin Shuboy in the Division 2 title game.

"I guess I just knew," Beaubien said. "It's always a perfect game until someone gets a hit or gets on base. I knew no one got on base, because otherwise I'd be thinking, 'They hit it here last time; I'm going to pitch them here.'"

Beaubien will eventually be a Wolverine, but has proven to be extremely comfortable pitching on high school's biggest stage at MSU. In four games on the Spartans' field the last two years, she hasn't allowed a run, has three no-hitters, has given up only two hits and has struck out 58 of 81 batters in 26 innings.

"You've got to be able to perform under pressure," Beaubien said. "I love the pressure. I feel like I can do a really good job in that situation. I just go out and do my best, and it works out."

Although the Kestrels (28-5) had a comfortable lead and nobody got on base, there was still some drama in the seventh inning.

The only time the perfect game was seriously threatened came when Calvin Christian sophomore Sarah Elderkin hit a grounder up the middle with one out in the seventh. Second baseman Peyton Bollenberg backhanded the ball and threw it to first base, where Liz Caldwell stretched out, made the catch and kept her foot on the base to barely beat Elderkin.

"It was a good play by second," Elderkin said. "You always have that feeling like, 'If I could only run harder,' but we had a great game. I feel like we all had some good hits. That team is very good. I think we're just blessed to have the ability to face a team like that. (Beaubien) is very good. She has a bright future ahead of her, I know that. They're a very good all-around team."

The two infielders involved in the play were very much aware that they were trying to protect a perfect game.

"It looked like Meghan was going to catch it," Bollenberg said. "It was just one of those things where I had a feeling it might come to me. I decided I'm going to go for it. I backhanded it and threw it."

Caldwell had to fully extend to remain on the base.

"All that was going through my mind was, 'You have to stretch, stretch now,'" Caldwell said. "I realized I needed to do my part, hold it and squeeze it."

While six Kestrels were part of last year's championship team, Bollenberg and Caldwell were not.

Bollenberg, a junior, injured her shoulder before the start of last season, so she served as the team's manager.

"I wish I could've played, but God didn't choose that for me," Bollenberg said. "It was definitely exciting to watch the girls do what they do. I knew this was going to be my year."

Caldwell wasn't even on the varsity this year until late in the season. Coach John Morningstar said she was one of four "bubble" players who were kept on the junior varsity to ensure the Kestrels at least had a lower-level team.

"I knew my part," said Caldwell, a sophomore. "I knew I was going to have to cheer on the team and really work people hard. I wasn't expecting to play at all, but I'm just really honored that I got a chance to."

After the bang-bang play at first, there was one more moment of temporary drama, as Calvin Christian’s final batter took the count to 3-1 with two outs. It was only the second three-ball count Beaubien had the entire game. The at bat ended with a swing-and-miss strikeout on a full count.

St. Mary broke a 0-0 tie by producing four straight singles and two runs to begin the bottom of the third inning. Beaubien hit a two-run single through the hole between the first and second basemen to open the scoring.

"The first time I was up, I got out," Beaubien said. "She was pitching me in. I wasn't really prepared for that. I hit a weak liner and got out. My second time up, I knew that's where she was going to throw me. I got my hands inside on that pitch. I pulled it through the other side and got her in."

The Kestrels broke it open with a three-run fifth. Once again, Beaubien was in the middle of the action. She started the rally with a one-out single, scoring on a double by Kenna Garst. Grace Mikesell made it 5-0 with a two-run single up the middle.

It became 6-0 in the sixth when Abbey Johnson scored on an error.

Calvin Christian finished with a 33-11 record.

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS: (Top) Monroe St. Mary begins to celebrate as the final strike is called of the Division 3 Final. (Middle) Meghan Beaubien unloads another pitch on the way to a perfect game.

Britton Deerfield, Whiteford Administrators Provide Diamond Leadership As Well

By Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com

April 15, 2025

Victoria Fraley has two new softball coaches this spring.

Southeast & BorderIt’s nothing new to the Britton Deerfield senior. Every year of her high school career, a new coach has welcomed the team come springtime.

But this year’s coaching duo – while two people she’s become very familiar with at the Class D high school of 140 students in Lenawee County – is a bit different.

It’s her superintendent, Stacy Johnson, and high school principal, Jeff Scott.

“I was so excited when I found out,” said Fraley, a pitcher for the Patriots. “I knew they had coached previously, and Mr. Scott has coached so many sports before. I was excited for the change because I knew they would hold us to higher standards than other coaches in the past.”

Fraley said the difference became noticeable the first practice of the spring.

“In years past, some people have been okay with losing,” she said. “Now, people are being held accountable.”

Johnson and Scott decided to co-coach this season after a lack of candidates surfaced to replace last year’s coach.

Britton Deerfield athletic director Erik Johnson is the husband of the superintendent and co-softball coach, and he’s already signed on to coach golf this spring. Superintendent Johnson said Erik started hinting about her coaching months ago.

“He plants a seed, right? He kept building upon that,” she said. “He’d say ‘There are no candidates.’”

Finally, Johnson and Scott – who have coached together previously – decided on coaching together again.

“We’re never going to let our kids go without,” Stacy Johnson said. “We’ll never let them go without the same opportunities that some kids in other districts have, so we just step up. That’s what we do.”

Both are at every practice and bring different perspectives.

Scott was the softball coach for BD several years ago. He’s also coached girls basketball and football – with Erik Johnson, also currently the varsity football coach.

“When I left the program, it was in pretty good shape,” Scott said. “The secret to softball is to have a program that develops a pitcher. Pitching comes with a lot of time and dedication and commitment. You can teach the hitting and fielding; you can practice that and get better.

“When I first took over back in the day, there were probably five girls who were travel ball players. With that comes experience – girls play all summer. They get a lot of work in. I don’t think there is anyone in our program now who has played a game of travel ball. Teams who have two, three, four travel ball players will have an advantage on us.”

Scott said the 11 girls on BD’s varsity softball roster are green, but willing to learn.

Johnson points something out to senior Victoria Fraley. “I have some girls who are learning to run bases and some girls who are learning the rules – how to tag up and things,” he said. “I had to back up a little bit, slow down a little. I am going to teach them college-level skills. We do have some young ladies who are willing and dedicated to learn.”

Johnson grew up in Monroe, where she played high school softball for one of the winningest coaches in state history in Vince Rossi.

“They don’t come any better than Coach Rossi,” she said. “I learned from him. I love this. I like being out here. I feel like I still have some knowledge to pass along to the girls.”

BD opened its season last week, being swept by Sand Creek in the Tri-County Conference opener for both schools. The Aggies scored most of their runs without hitting a ball out of the infield, taking advantage of walks and a couple of misplays. Scott, however, was encouraged by the determination he saw in the BD girls.

“We’re going to have bumps and bruises, but I can’t wait to see where we are going from the first game to the last game,” he said. “This is fun. I have 11 players, 22 sets of eyes looking at me every time.”

Another Tri-County Conference school, Ottawa Lake Whiteford, had a similar situation this spring when a lack of candidates for the junior varsity baseball coaching job led to Scott Huard, the superintendent in that district, putting his name into the running. He was hired.

“When I made the decision 18 years ago to move from the classroom to school administration, I also gave up coaching understanding that being a school administrator is demanding of your time,” Huard said. “As a school administrator, you have a greater reach and influence on the number of students, staff, and the families you serve. However, with this greater responsibility, you often lose out on creating those close relationships with your students or athletes as a teacher or coach might do from being with them daily.”

Huard’s return to the diamond has been welcomed.

“What I have found this spring in coaching is that my passion for coaching and teaching baseball has returned after being idle for many years,” he said. “It has also afforded me the opportunity to really get to know 15 of our students in a much different way than being a superintendent.”

Johnson and Huard said getting away from the day-to-day pressures of being a superintendent has been a bonus.

“I love the kids,” Johnson said. “So much of my job is about the district. It relates to kids, but it’s not necessarily dealing with them 1-on-1. This gives me that opportunity. For a couple of hours every day I can catch my breath a little bit and be out here with the girls.”

Huard echoed those sentiments.

“It has been nice to slip away for a couple of hours to practice with the boys, which allows me to rejuvenate my energy, which I believe has made me a better superintendent and avoiding potential burnout,” he said.

As a player, Fraley loves having the school administrators at the softball field.

“They will treat you the same no matter what,” she said. “They are both so encouraging – on the field and in the school. Because we are now their athletes and students, I think they hold us to a higher standard. You can really see the shift. It’s a different atmosphere out here.”

Huard, who coached in Bryan, Ohio, before becoming an administrator, isn’t sure if he will continue coaching in the future, but is having fun with it this spring. Being superintendent of the district is his No. 1 priority.

“I don't feel that the boys treat me any differently since I am the superintendent and their coach,” he said. “(And) I am treating them like any other baseball team that I have coached at the high school level. I am attempting to prepare these boys for future success at the varsity level by ensuring they are fundamentally sound in all aspects of baseball as well as understanding game situations.”

Doug DonnellyDoug Donnelly has served as a news and sports reporter at the Adrian Daily Telegram and the Monroe News for 30 years, including 10 years as city editor in Monroe. He's written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. He is now publisher and editor of The Blissfield Advance, a weekly newspaper. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Britton Deerfield varsity softball coaches Stacy Johnson, far right, and Jeff Scott announce their starting lineup to their players before a recent game. (Middle) Johnson points something out to senior Victoria Fraley. (Photos by Doug Donnelly.)