Reeths-Puffer softball falls short to top-ranked Ravenna in bid for GMAA 3-peat

MUSKEGON — Reeths-Puffer faced Ravenna Saturday for the GMAA Tier 1 championship, just like it had the previous two seasons. But this year, the Rockets saw a much different Bulldog team, and their bid for a three-peat was denied in a 9-0 defeat.

R-P (18-4) earlier defeated Fruitport 12-2 and held off a late Mona Shores rally to win 9-7, winning its pool to earn the shot at Ravenna.

Ravenna is undefeated at 20-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state in Division 3, and after Saturday's games had given up 23 runs all season - and nine since the calendar turned to April. The Bulldogs aren't just the product of a small-school schedule either; they've dominated high-level opponents like Midland Dow, Grand Haven, Traverse City Central, Rockford, Jenison and Wayland.

"I think they have fine-tuned some things," Rockets' coach Sarah Bayle said. "One of my assistant coaches mentioned they're a well-oiled machine...They made really good hits. Obviously, we've got Lainey (McDaniel) and she's a great pitcher, and they were able to hit her pretty solid. We didn't see that the last two times."

R-P's bats were unable to solve Bulldog hurler Natalie Rosel, who pitched a five-hit shutout in the finals. Ravenna broke through against McDaniel with a four-run second inning, which put the pressure squarely on the Rockets. Five errors in the field didn't help.

"Our defense struggled a little more today than it normally does," Bayle said. "Overall, I'm obviously proud of the girls. I wish I would have seen a different outcome in that last game."

McDaniel got two of the Rockets' five hits in the finals and struck out two in the circle. Five of the runs against her were earned.

Bayle said part of the reason for Ravenna's success against McDaniel could've been the amount of pitches the senior star had to throw on the day. McDaniel also pitched against Shores, which Bayle knew was necessary after the Sailors earned a split with R-P last week in a conference doubleheader.

"That very well could have been a difference if she had been fresh," Bayle said. "We needed her for Shores. I think she ended up well over 200 pitches (for the day) by the end."

McDaniel dominated early on against Mona Shores. Back-to-back singles put Shores runners in scoring position in the second inning; one of those singles was inches away from a home run, but the ball bounded off the top of the fence and back into play. 

McDaniel got a strikeout to end the threat, and her teammates staked her to a 2-0 lead. Madi Reichert opened the scoring by blasting a no-doubt home run to center field, the first long ball of her varsity career.

It was a great moment for Reichert, whom Bayle said the coaches have long felt is going to develop into a power hitter.

"She is such a workhorse," Bayle said. "Madi is an amazing kid. I was so happy to see that...Even since last year, we knew she was going to be a big bopper one day. We're really excited for her."

Lorelei Herrygers brought in a run in the third inning by bunting in Carlie Guikema, who led off the inning with a double. The Rockets blew open the game in the fifth with six more runs, thanks in part to Tessa Ross' two-run single and Kenzie Jacobs' RBU single. Caydence Rettinhouse and Reichert later drew consecutive bases-loaded walks to bring in more runs, and Guikema brought in another run with a single.

Mona Shores, though, stormed back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and then five more in the sixth, as the Sailor batters began to time up McDaniel. Luckily, the Rockets were able to escape.

Ross and Guikema each had three hits in the game, and Reichert, McDaniel and Herrygers each had two. McDaniel allowed three earned runs on 12 hits and struck out eight.

R-P cruised to the opening win over Fruitport with five extra-base hits as a team. McDaniel, Herrygers, Ross, Jacobs and Caydence Rettinhouse had two hits each, and Jacobs and Olivia Ambler each drove in three runs. Makayla Jewett allowed five hits and one earned run, striking out five.