HART – Hart softball has had no trouble smacking balls over the fence in 2025. That remained constant Saturday, May 31 as three Pirates hit home runs to help lead Hart to their fifth straight district title.
“For our program, this is five (district titles) in a row,” Hart Head Coach Dean DeVries said. “Coach Rocky Smith started it and it’s just been a steam roller since then. I’m proud of the girls and their growth throughout the season.”
Hart started its day off matching up against Montague in the district semifinals. The Pirates took command of that game early, fending off a rally from the Wildcats to take a 10-5 victory.
Montague got onto the scoreboard early, turning a pair of doubles in the top of the first inning into a 1-0 advantage. Hart responded with two runs of their own, taking the opportunity to score after a pair of fielding errors left the Wildcats in a tough position.
After keeping the opponent off the board in the top of the second inning, Hart scored two more runs to finish out the frame. Mackenna Carrier hit a line drive double to push Maryn Klotz and Cali Eisenlohr across the plate.
The third inning brought a memorable moment for Hart junior Leah Walker. Walker stepped up to the plate for the Pirates’ first at-bat of the inning. After working into a 2-1 count, Walker uncorked a massive swing that sent the ball flying over the fence in center field for her first career home run.
That gave the Pirates the confidence to really push their lead out. With four additional base hits in that frame, Hart gained a 9-1 lead.
Montague started to push back in the fourth inning, getting to within five runs. Hart escaped that frame and found the will to finish the game strong and advance to the district finals.
Kelsey Copenhaver threw six innings in the circle for Hart, only allowing two earned runs on five hits while striking out 13. Reese Smith came in to finish the final inning, allowing one hit and walking one.
Carrier led the way at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three runs batted in (RBI). Klotz was 3-for-4, while Bateson and Walker collected two hits each.
In the district finals, Hart met up with Mason County Central, who beat Hesperia in their semifinal appearance. Hart had no trouble dispatching the Spartans, walking away with an 11-1 victory and a shiny new trophy.
The Pirates faced just 18 batters through five innings of play, averaging just over three Spartans faced per inning. Smith was in the circle for Hart, sitting down seven on strikeouts.
Hart took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a Smith home run. That fueled them into a dominant second and third inning.
The Pirates collected two quick outs in the bottom of the second, but pulled off a rally that scored three more runs. Included in that sequence was a Carrier single, a Copenhaver home run and a triple for Smith.
“It’s easy to talk about our three home runs today, and for Leah Walker – that was her first,” DeVries said. “But, I really like the way we adjusted to the pitching that we saw. We put some great swings on the pitches and played Hart softball really well.”
The third inning for Hart featured five singles that pushed their lead to 11-0. Earning hits in that inning was Walker, Klotz, Carrier, Copenhaver and Nora Chickering. Kora Hiddema also drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
MCC tried to fight away from a mercy rule defeat in the fifth inning, but only mustered a lead off home run before the Pirates sat them down for good.
Hart’s bats were led by Copenhaver’s 3-for-3 clip that included three RBIs. Carrier and Smith had multi-hit performances with two each, with Smith matching Copenhaver’s three RBI mark.
The Pirates moved to 24-9 overall on the season and have now reached five straight district championships. Hart will face Grandville Calvin Christian in the regional semifinals on Saturday, June 7 at Chippewa Hills High School in Remus.
