Reeths-Puffer advanced to the district finals Saturday at West
Ottawa, falling to Grand Haven 3-1 in a hotly contested championship
game to end its season.
The Rockets (26-8) advanced to the finals with a 5-3 win over rival Mona Shores.
R-P
grabbed an early lead in the title game when Lainey McDaniel led off
with a single and raced to second on the throw. Madi Reichert then
bunted McDaniel over to third, and McDaniel scored on a Buccaneers'
error.
Lorelei Herrygers bunted Reichert to third base with
one out, but the Rockets couldn't cash in any more runs. Grand Haven
pitcher Lorelei Chciuk then dominated R-P's offense from there, allowing
only one more hit in the game, and no more baserunners at all until the
sixth inning.
McDaniel, who will play at Ferris State next
year opposite Chciuk's Saginaw Valley State team, held down Grand
Haven's offense as well for the first three innings, but in the fourth
the Bucs broke through for two runs, which proved to be enough to secure
the win.
McDaniel allowed seven hits and three runs, striking
out nine without walking a batter. She also drew a walk in addition to
her single and run scored.
R-P edged the Sailors in the
semifinals, taking a 3-0 lead early and hanging on from there. The
Rockets led 3-2 going into the seventh before pushing across two
insurance runs.
As in the title game, McDaniel led off with a
single and her teammates bunted her over to third base. Tessa Ross
delivered a RBI single. In the third inning, McDaniel walked, Herrygers
doubled her in, and Ross followed by singling in Herrygers.
Reichert
and Kenzie Jacobs each had a RBI single in the seventh for a pair of
big insurance runs, which proved pivotal when Shores brought the tying
run to the plate in the seventh. Reichert caught a line drive in right
field to end the game.
