USA, K-Christian Power Way to D4 Final
June 14, 2019
By Jason Schmitt
Special for Second Half
EAST LANSING – It may have taken six-plus innings, but Kalamazoo Christian coach Kevin Lewis eventually had a chance to take it all in Friday morning.
And he had an opportunity to exhale as well.
All it took was a three-run home run from senior Jayme Koning, a shot which served as an explanation point on the Comets’ 6-1 victory over Coleman in a Division 4 Semifinal at Secchia Stadium.
“It was very relaxing after that sixth inning. It was then I knew,” said Lewis, referring to a four-run sixth that gave his team a five-run cushion. “(Koning) was hot all day. When she came up to the plate, I had that gut feeling, like, ‘If she drops a bomb right here, it’s done.’ And she did it. That’s not the first time. She did it against (Stevensville) Lakeshore. When you’re facing teams like that, for her to come up clutch in two situations like that shows me what kind of ballplayer she really is.”
Koning was 3-for-4 in the game, reaching base on all four of her plate appearances. She also had a double and an RBI single which tied the game at 1-1 in the first inning. Her home run was her 14th of the season. She went the distance on the mound, allowing just four hits while striking out four, including the last Coleman batter of the game – setting off a grand celebration for her team.
“Both (the home run and game-ending strikeout) were different excitements,” Koning said, answering which was more special to her. “The home run gave us a little insurance that I really like, and getting that out is just in-the-moment awesome.”
The game was extremely tight through five innings, the difference coming on an RBI single by freshman Faith Kline – scoring courtesy runner Nyla de Jong – which gave her team a 2-1 lead. To that point both Koning and Coleman starting pitcher Jaden Berthume were cruising along.
Berthume scattered eight hits through the first five innings, allowing just two runs. Coleman’s defense struggled throughout the game – collecting four errors – while Kalamazoo Christian was flawless in the field.
“Defense is obviously the name of the game,” Lewis said. “We have a really good defense. We have freshmen in the lineup. We’ve got sophomores in the lineup. We’re deep all the way up through. It came down to defense and our pitching on the mound. Jayme held them tight, and we got the job done.”
Senior Sydney Duong was 3-for-3 with a walk for Christian (31-8), and scored a pair of runs. Sophomore Zoe Hazelhoff collected a pair of hits and junior Megan Snook had an RBI single and scored a run for the Comets, who will face Unionville-Sebewaing in Saturday’s championship game.
Berthume and freshman Katelyn Pnacek each had two hits for Coleman (35-8), which entered the postseason ranked No. 1 in Division 4. It was the Comets’ third straight trip to East Lansing. Last year they fell to Centreville in the championship game.
“When we’ve got chances to score, we’ve got to be able to get the hit,” Coleman head coach Chad Klopf said after the game. “We’ve been doing that all year. We’ve been able to keep the bats going when we needed them (this year). If it was tomorrow or if it was yesterday, we might have won it. But it was their day today.
“This was our third straight year down here. We’ve had lots of experience. That’s why we’re here again. It gave us so much experience the last two years, and it gave all of our young girls this year more experience. Hopefully we can do what we do and get back (here) again.”
Unionville-Sebewaing 8, Rogers City 3
Changing things up a bit from last year’s Semifinal appearance seemed to do wonders Friday afternoon for Unionville-Sebewaing.
The Patriots, limited to just four hits in last year’s 4-0 loss to eventual champion Centreville, exploded for eight runs on 16 hits in their win over Rogers City.
“The last couple days, I’ve liked where we’re at offensively,” USA head coach Isaiah Gainforth said. “We had two really good days of preparation. To put 16 hits up in the semis, you can’t ask for much more offensively. I’m extremely proud of the girls’ approach, their discipline. Hitting is contagious. When someone starts it, everybody else is ‘Let me get the bat and see what I can do.’ That was kind of our mentality there.”
Sophomore Maci Montgomery was a perfect 4-for-4 against the Hurons, collecting three doubles and a triple, scoring twice and driving in three runs. Her leadoff triple to start the game got things going for the Patriots (30-9), and her two-run double in the fifth capped off the scoring for her team.
“Couldn’t ask for a better start,” Gainforth said. “It’s so important, getting that first run in any game. Being able to score first was big because it just loosens everybody up. When you get production from top to bottom, that’s a dangerous team right there.”
The team’s No. 9 hitter, junior Danielle Harper, also had quite a game. She was 3-for-3, scored three times and added a two-run home run to give herself a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning.
Sophomore Brynn Polega and freshmen Macy Reinhardt and Laci Harris all collected two hits each in their team’s victory. Polega also pitched a complete game on the mound, allowing just two earned runs while striking out four.
“We kind of learned from some of our mistakes last year,” Gainforth said. “A lot of these girls are back, but you’ve got some new girls. We weren’t in awe (today). The experience factor. Last year we were kind of consumed by it, and I don’t know if it kind of got to us a little bit. Today we kind of switched it up a little bit, got down here this morning and tried to keep our same routine and same approach that we’ve had in all our tournaments.”
Rogers City (27-8) was led by senior Taylor Fleming, who was 2-for-4 at the plate. She connected for a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Senior Linnea Hentkowski was 1-for-2 with a run scored in the loss.
“They hit the ball well. Give them credit,” Hurons head coach Karl Grambau said. “We’ve shut teams down all year long. They outhit us today, no doubt about it. They’ve got a great tradition, and so do we. Hopefully we’ll meet again someday.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Kalamazoo Christian’s Sydney Duong makes a throw to first base during her team’s Division 4 Semifinal win Friday. (Middle) USA's Macy Reinhardt circles third base during her team's victory over Rogers City.
Record-Setting Offense Helps Lift Vicksburg to 2023 Runner-Up Finish
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 26, 2024
Vicksburg finished Division 2 runner-up last spring led by one of the most accomplished offenses in MHSAA history.
The Bulldogs made the single-season wins list finishing 41-6, setting a record with 441 RBI, ranking second 538 runs and 541 hits and tying for third with 46 home runs.
Maddison Diekman tied for fifth individually both with 84 runs scored and 89 hits, while Peyton Smith made lists with 73 hits, 19 doubles and 12 home runs. Brooklynn Ringler earned listings with 75 runs and 74 hits, and Delaney Monroe did as well with 16 home runs and 76 RBI. All four are seniors this season.
Diekman will continue her career at Central Michigan, Smith will continue at Concordia-Ann Arbor and Monroe will continue at Lawrence Tech, and Ringler will golf at Davenport. See below for more recent MHSAA softball record book updates, and click the heading to see the record book in full.
Softball
A pair of Fowler standouts earned individual record book entries last spring, and the team also earned a pair of entries. Avery Koenigsknect had back-to-back home runs and six RBI in one game May 18 against Bath, making lists for both, and teammate Brianne Halfmann had three home runs, including two back-to-back, and seven RBI in a single game against Mendon on June 13 to make lists for all three categories. As a team, the Eagles were added for 391 hits and 297 RBI over 37 games. Koenigsknecht graduated last spring, and Halfmann is a senior this school year.
Now-senior Marissa Warren led another strong Big Rapids effort in 2023, reaching the record book with 71 hits, 70 runs, 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 84 RBI and with three listings for multiple homers in a game or inning. She was joined by teammate Pharis Carroll, who made the runs scored list with 68 and is also a senior this school year. Hanna Smith (46), Rylie Haist (41) and Josie Cornell (34) finished three-season varsity careers all on the career doubles list. As a team., Big Rapids made lists with 445 hits, 428 runs, 90 doubles, 353 RBI and a .416 batting average. Warren has signed with Toledo, Haist and Smith are continuing at Ferris State, and Cornell signed with Husson University in Maine.
Payton Manninen’s junior season last spring saw her reach the MHSAA record book with a .645 average over 27 games – and also climb the list of longest hitting streaks in state history. The Ishpeming standout’s run came to an end last May 10, almost two years to the day it started and after 61 straight games with at least one hit – good for second on the list.
Hamilton’s best season in several years saw the Hawkeyes rank eighth all-time with 503 hits, fifth with 40 triples and ninth with a .438 team batting average over 41 games in 2023 – those listings among six total to make the team record book. Individually, senior Madie Jamrog made the records with 66 runs scored and 15 triples last season and 27 triples and 22 home runs for her three-year varsity career. Ella Davison, just a freshman last spring, made the lists with 81 hits, 18 doubles, a .643 average and a 23-game hitting streak. Then-sophomore Taylor Oosterink was added for six RBI in a game, and then-sophomore Kianna Vork for being hit by pitches three times in one contest. Jamrog is continuing her career at Akron.
Another pair of Richland Gull Lake standouts has been added to the records, one a recent graduate and another a senior this season. Mandy Esman was added seven times including for 35 doubles, 29 home runs and a .530 batting average over her three-season career – and despite her sophomore year being canceled due to the pandemic. Now-senior Ava Coffinger was added five times; her 86 runs scored last spring are tied for third-most for one season, and she had stolen 79 bases consecutively without getting caught entering this year and stole 73 total in 2023. Esman played a season at Michigan State and now plays at Houston, and Coffinger has signed with MSU.
Grandville Calvin Christian’s Karsen Balmer twice last season hit home runs in back-to-back at bats – against Beaverton on May 6, 2023, and then against Sparta on May 23. She’s a senior this spring.
A trio of Leslie seniors this spring are all over the record book for single-season and career accomplishments after their first three years of varsity. Ada Bradford ranked on the career strikeout list with 937 and at the plate with 49 doubles, 26 home runs and 166 RBI heading into this spring. Jalen Fossitt joins her with 58 doubles and 152 RBI for her career so far, and Gabby Waldofsky ranks with 171 runs scored and 209 hits over her first three seasons. Leslie also was added for 387 hits, 79 doubles and 254 RBI over 39 games last spring. Bradford will continue her career at Aquinas College, and Fossitt will continue at Hope College.
Cecelia Thorington’s junior season last spring at Pinckney saw her reach the record book four times, including for season totals of 73 hits, 68 runs scored and 60 stolen bases over 36 games. Senior teammate Kylee Douglas was added as well for six RBI in a game. Douglas is continuing her career at Henry Ford College, and Thorington will continue hers at University of Michigan.
Olivia Turner entered her senior season this spring at Grass Lake with 16 record book entries and two MHSAA records. She tied the record for single-season hits with 100 over 40 games in 2023, and along the way broke the career record for doubles with 80 and a season to play. She’s also climbing career record lists for home runs (15th) and RBI (third), and last season added single-season listings for 30 doubles (tied for third), 17 home runs, 102 RBI (second) and a .714 batting average (seventh). She has signed with Bradley.
A pair of Okemos hitters reached the record book last season for RBI in one game – now-junior Violet Greborunis twice driving in six, and now-junior Keirlyn Bane also bringing home six runners in one game.
Parma Western’s Abby Nieswender smashed 30 doubles last spring as a junior, which landed third on the single-season list. She’s signed with Aquinas.
Grayling earned its first record book achievements in this sport over the last two seasons. The Vikings as a team are listed for 82 doubles and 284 RBI over 37 games in 2023, and 68 doubles over 35 games in 2022. Anna Wood made the single-season individual doubles list with 17 last spring, and Mandy Andrews made the hit-by-pitch list with 16. Wood, Cali D’Amour and Jessica Campbell all made the single-game RBI list for six or more either last season or during 2022. Andrews is a senior this spring, and the other three are juniors.
Otisville LakeVille Memorial made the record book several times after finishing 33-8 in 2023, with now-senior Jayla Thompson leading the way. The Falcons were added for 437 runs, 420 hits, 88 doubles, 32 home runs and 350 RBI as a team. Thompson scored 70 runs, hit 16 doubles and 10 home runs and also reached the career home runs list with 27 and a season to play. She and now-senior Brooke Newberry, now-sophomore Anabell Newberry and now-junior Mallorie Nevadomski also made lists with single-game accomplishments.
PHOTO Vicksburg’s Peyton Smith stands in for a pitch during last season’s Division 2 Semifinal win over Richmond.