MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - It’s looks like Madison Snyder will do just fine as the Reeths-Puffer softball team’s No. 1 pitcher this year.
Last season, as a freshman on varsity, Snyder performed surprisingly well in the No. 2 slot, then obviously took some big steps forward in the offseason.
She opened up R-P’s 2023 season in great form on Tuesday, scattering three hits and striking out six with no walks in the Rockets’ 10-0 victory over Fremont.
The game only went five innings because the Rockets scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to invoke the 10-run mercy rule.
R-P pitcher Madison Snyder, who was extra sharp while earning the Game 1 win.
That was possible largely because of Snyder, who held the visiting Packers scoreless with five pretty easy innings on the mound.
When she wasn’t striking Fremont hitters out, she was limiting them to a lot of harmless groundouts or pop-ups, and never allowed any hard-hit balls.
She gave up a single to open the second inning, then mowed down the Packers 1-2-3, including a pair of strikeouts. In the third she retired Fremont in order on a grounder and two infield popups.
In the fourth inning she retired the Packers in order on three grounders. In the fifth the first batter reached on an error, then Snyder got the next three hitters, including two on strikeouts.
Natalie Kunnen (9) is greeted by teammate Kyleigh Bilek after hitting a homer.
Snyder showed a great deal of poise and confidence for a sophomore pitching the season opener, and that did not surprise R-P Coach Sarah Bayle.
“She loves the game so much and has been working so hard in the offseason – her confidence will take us far this season,” Bayle said. “She was our No. 2 last year, I think she averaged four or five strikeouts per game, and I think today proved she’s going places this year. She was getting her pitches down in there and producing ground balls, which is what we want.”
Snyder took her opening game success in stride and gave most of the credit to her teammates.
“I thought I pitched pretty well,” she said. “We had our catcher (Brook Buchen) calling pitches for the first time, and she was calling them in and out, up and down, changing speeds. She did a very good job. And it helps when I have my defense talking to me every pitch. I know they are going to have my back, no matter what.”
R-P's Jersi Bilek steps into a pitch.
The R-P offense was almost as impressive as Synder’s pitching. The Rockets pounded out 10 hits and had seven batters knock in runs.
Kaylee Jones, Abbie Critchett and Snyder each had two hits while Kyleigh Bilek had one hit and knocked in two runs.
The offensive highlight of the evening came from the bat of Natalie Kunnen, who laced a line-drive to the left field fence in the fifth inning that turned out to be an inside-the-park homer.
R-P's Abbie Critchett watches the action after crossing home plate for a run.
All-in-all, it was the type of first-game performance that Bayle expected from her experienced team, which returns six starters from last year’s squad.
“I loved it,” Bayle said. “I was just telling the girls, this energy is something I’ve never felt in a team before. They are all confident, not once did a I feel like they would carry a mistake into the next inning, not once did I feel like they were going to strike out. I felt that confidence from all of them.”
The Rockets took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Jones singled, stole second, stole third and scored on the same play on a throwing error, then Critchett doubled home Snyder, who reached base on a walk.
Snyder watches a pitch go by while at the plate.
R-P went up 4-0 in the third inning when Snyder walked, Critchett singled and Kyleigh Bilek knocked them in with a double.
The Rockets added a run in the fourth when Lainey McDaniel reached base on an infield single, stole second, then scored on an infield single by Snyder.
Kunnen led off the bottom of the fifth with her inside-the-park homer, Jersi Bilek drove home Rowan Bluhm with an RBI triple, Jones knocked in Bilek with an infield single, Megan Barmes knocked in a run with a liner to shortstop, then Snyder ended the game with an RBI single.
