Performance: Mercy's Abby Krzywiecki
May 4, 2016
Abby Krzywiecki
Farmington Hills Mercy senior – Softball
Krzywiecki appears in the MHSAA softball record book eight times – and that doesn’t include the incredible numbers she’s putting up again in this, her final high school season. This spring she’s hitting .464 with eight home runs and 38 RBI in 17 games – and she had the winning hits in both games of Friday's 2-1, 5-2 sweep of reigning Division 1 champion Warren Regina to earn the Michigan National Guard Performance of the Week.
The senior first baseman dropped a bloop single to drive home the winning run in the sixth inning of the first game, then drilled an opposite-field three-run homer in the first inning of the second to lead the No. 2-ranked Marlins, who now sit 16-1 this season after advancing to the Division 1 Semifinals a year ago. Regina had beaten Mercy in three straight games, but the Marlins now have control in the Detroit Catholic League Central race.
Krzywiecki’s 36 career home runs in 109 games over the last four seasons rank seventh on the MHSAA career list, and she should climb at least a few more spots as she pursues the record of 49. She ranks 13th currently with 182 RBI and has a .497 career batting average, and she’s also 43-5 pitching over her varsity career. Krzywiecki committed to play collegiately at South Alabama as a sophomore and is interested in studying business.
Coach Alec Lesko said: “As a senior and four-year starter, Abby has become a tremendous leader. Both on and off the field, Abby has shown character that helps make everyone around her better. Recently, off the field, Abby was walking the halls of Mercy High School and saw a teammate underclassmen all stressed out. Of course, Abby asked, ‘What was wrong?’ Apparently this young lady was having a tough time with a big assignment. Abby immediately stopped what she was doing and helped find the right resources and people, other teammates, to assist this fellow student to understand and complete this assignment. When I heard of this, I was by no means surprised. Abby does this all the time on the field! She has a calming effect with the team, (and) she helps younger players at practice as well as games. She is perhaps the biggest cheerleader in encouraging everyone all the time. Abby's own work ethic and dedication to her softball life is evident during games. Her stats speak for themselves. Abby is getting an incredible amount of attention this season with awards, scholarship opportunities, and top player awards and people to watch. This could be a difficult distraction to deal with, and Abby has taken it all in stride. … Abby, along with our other two senior captains, are bringing this team closer together.”
Performance Point: “I had a day when I was off (April 26 against Livonia Ladywood), so I went home and worked harder than I had in a while. I knew Regina would be a roadblock, so I worked hard to be the best player I could be not for myself but for my team. It’s not about getting my stats higher, but getting base runners in position to score for the team. I thought more about placing the ball, not hitting it as far as I can but as hard as I can. I’ve learned to not swing for the fences; if you swing hard enough with a perfect swing, it’s going to out, and I’m getting better at that mentality.”
Work pays: “To be able to see the results of my hard work paying off is pretty incredible. To know the feeling that I wasn’t wasting my time, that if I had to miss a social event, go to practice or a tournament … the numbers like the records I’ve achieved, wow – look what I can do if I set my mind to something. It blows me away how well I did just because of the support of my team, my family and my coaches, and I’m working harder than ever. It’s reassuring to know if you work really hard at something you love – softball is one of the priorities in my life – to know that if you have to miss out on things, it comes out to be the best thing for you. I’ve noticed that throughout high school.”
Sounding off: Krzywiecki’s teammates often catch her making a clicking sound with her mouth – she mentally prepares by trying to imitate the sound of the ball coming off her bat. “When I’m walking up there, you can hear me or I might do it before game one (of a doubleheader). If I’m struggling, you can see me doing it a couple of times; I’m trying to get the sound of the bat perfectly; especially with my bat, I can tell when I hit it perfectly. A lot of these girls are my best friends, and they know if I’m making that clicking noise, they let it go.”
Unfinished business: “We’re just super excited about how much potential we have. We have a lot of talent, but we have even more chemistry and teamwork and positivity. We have a great attitude, and when you have great human beings surrounding you, you’re excited to keep pushing forward to see how good you can get. It’s unrealistic to think we’ll win every single game, especially in an unpredictable sport like this, but it will be fun to see how far we get together.”
Passport ready: “I’m thinking business (at South Alabama), but I’m really into the entertainment industry. So I’m interested in working at Universal (Studios), behind the scenes there, or in international business because I like to travel. I’ve been to over half the states, I went to Paris when I was younger, obviously Canada, Hawaii twice, and Boulder, Colorado, which is my favorite place in the world. And my family is planning a trip to Italy in two summers for my parents’ anniversary. I’m comfortable being uncomfortable … so I just love to travel.”
– Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2015-16 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard will recognize 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 protecting lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2015-16 honorees
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) Farmington Hills Mercy's Abby Krzywiecki is greeted at home plate by her teammates after a home run. (Middle) Krzywiecki powers through another swing. (Photos courtesy of the Mercy athletic department and Krzywiecki family.)
Grass Lake Caps 2025 Softball Season with Classic Title Clincher
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
June 14, 2025
EAST LANSING — The last high school softball game of the 2025 season was played by Grass Lake and Clare, and fittingly the old adage “saving the best for last” applied in what was a thrilling finish between two teams making their first championship game appearances.
Grass Lake ultimately got to celebrate its first title by holding off Clare for a 5-4 win in the Division 3 Final. But it was the seventh inning that had the overflow crowd buzzing, even long after the final out was made.
Clare entered the top of the seventh up 2-1 after scoring a run in the sixth, and Grass Lake had its 7-8-9 hitters coming up.
But Grass Lake head coach Roger Cook wasn’t worried.
“It seems like the bottom of order has been coming through quite a bit,” Cook said. “One through nine, we’re comfortable with the next person.”
Sure enough, freshman Kennedy Collins walked, sophomore Reese Late reached on a bunt single and junior Addalynn Hensen walked to load the bases for the top of the order.
Grass Lake then tied the game at 2-2 when Collins beat a throw to the plate on a ground ball hit to second base.
With the bases still loaded and nobody out, Grass Lake took a 4-2 lead on an infield error, which scored two runs. Grass Lake then went up 5-2 on a sacrifice fly by senior Bree Salts.
Then, it was Clare’s turn to mount a comeback.
In the bottom of the inning, senior Addison McMillan tripled and scored on a single by senior Tessa Kelly to make it 5-3. With two outs, Clare cut the Grass Lake lead to 5-4 on an RBI double by sophomore Breez Yarger.
The Pioneers eventually had a runner on first and third base with two out, but Grass Lake junior pitcher Morgan Conrad ended the game by inducing a flyout.
Whew. What an ending.
“I was definitely nervous, but over the years I’ve learned how to handle those nerves,” said Salts, one of the team’s seniors and catcher. “So I just knew this was the only place in the world I wanted to be in this moment.”
An alum and current teacher at Grass Lake who is in his 24th year as head coach, Cook said he walks by pictures in the school of past Finals championship and runner-up teams.
“I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and I’ve been thinking, ‘Gosh, just one time for us to get up there,’” Cook said. “Today is the day.”
Much like it did during its Semifinal win, Clare scored in the bottom of the sixth inning to grab a 2-1 lead.
With runners on first and second and one out, senior catcher Savannah Buzzelli hit a hard ground ball that deflected off the pitcher and went to the left side of the infield. That gave enough time for pinch runner Sophia Buzzelli to score from second base and put Clare ahead.
Grass Lake opened the scoring in the third inning, grabbing a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Salts. Clare tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning when a run scored on a wild pitch.
“We got the ground balls we wanted, we just didn’t capitalize,” Clare head coach Shane Kelly said. “We were in that situation against Gladstone (in a Quarterfinal), got a double play and got out of it. I every bit thought we were going to do the same thing. We just didn’t capitalize.”
PHOTOS (Top) Grass Lake players hoist their championship trophy Saturday at Secchia Stadium. (Middle) Morgan Conrad (11) yells after arriving at second base.