MUSKEGON TWP. - At the end of the day on Tuesday, Reeths-Puffer softball coach Sarah Bayle told her players she recently watched an online commencement address by former New York Yankees great Derek Jeter, who told the graduates to keep small problems from becoming bigger ones.
"Don't let a speed bump become a road block," Bayle quoted Jeter as saying.
Bayle's high-flying Rockets definitely hit a speed bump in a conference doubleheader against Byron Center, another great team.
R-P ended up losing both games, 1-0 in an extra-inning heartbreaker in Game 1, and 7-3 in a frustrating Game 2. The outcome put an end to R-P's 10-game winning streak and left the Rockets with an overall record of 14-3.
R-P's Kenzie Jacobs comes up with the ball after making a diving catch.
It also gave Byron Center the upper hand in the O-K Green conference race, at least for the moment. Both teams came in undefeated in the conference standings, and now BC has a two-game lead on the Rockets.
The third and final game of the series will be Thursday at Byron Center, and it will be an important one for the Rockets if the want to stay in the trophy chase.
Bayle acknowledged that the two losses leave her team with some work to do in that regard, but said the O-K Green isn't everything.
She noted that good teams improve by playing other good teams - win or lose - and it could all pay off when the state tournament rolls around in a few weeks.
R-P 's Mady Snyder delivers a pitch.
"We knew we were going to face tough competition, and that's what's going to prepare us for the postseason," Bayle said. "A win or a loss here and there, as long as it makes it better, is not the main thing. I really believe we're going to learn a lot from this.
"I would love a conference title, but if we lose a 1-0 game in the eighth inning like we did today, and that better prepares us if we see them again in regionals, and we end up taking the first regional title in school history, it will definitely be worth it."
The first game was a nail-biter between two talented teams that were both refusing to lose.
The score was 0-0 after the regulation seven innings, so the game went to the eighth with both teams starting with a runner on second base.
The Bulldogs successfully bunted their runner to third, then plated the run with an infield single.
R-P catcher Aubrey Clark goes after a popup.
The Rockets also moved their runner to third in the bottom of the inning, but could not score and lost the game.
The loss ruined a great pitching performance by R-P's Lainey McDaniel, who allowed only three hits, no walks and struck out 17.
McDaniel had the only hit for the Rockets.
In Game 2, Byron Center got a lot of baserunners with lightly-hit infield singles, then collected key hits with runners in scoring position. The Rockets also got their share of baserunners, but could not get the RBI hits when they needed them.
Byron Center took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a double by Avery Broekhaven and RBI singles by Liv Dohn and Payton Dodgson.
R-P's Lainey McDaniel takes a cut at a pitch.
The Bulldogs made it 3-0 in the second inning with a walk and an RBI single by Broekhaven.
The Rockets got in the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, when they had runners on second and third with two outs. Tessa Ross hit an infield grounder to deep third base, scoring one run, but the second runner also broke for home and was gunned down at the plate, cutting the rally short.
The Rockets tied the game at 3-3 with a bit of luck in the fourth inning. They again had runners on second and third with two outs when Ross hit a popup that was dropped by the second baseman, allowing both runners to score.
Byron Center also had its share of luck in the top of the fifth, when their leadoff hitter reached base on an error and the next two batters hit infield singles, driving in one run. The next batter had a bunt single, loading the bases, then Ava VanKampen singled in one run, and the next hitter (no name on the roster) singled in two..
Suddenly Byron Center led 7-3.
Jacobs fields a grounder at shortstop.
The Rockets displayed some great defense in the sixth inning when shortstop Kenzie Jacobs dove to make a great catch in shallow left field, catcher Aubrey Clark gunned a runner down at second, and first baseman Kyleigh Bilek snared a line drive for the third out.
But the defensive wizardry did not inspire timely hitting. Reeths-Puffer loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning, then struck out twice to end the threat. R-P advanced runners to second and third with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but again failed to score.
Mady Snyder pitched for R-P and scattered 10 hits while walking two and striking out five.
Olivia Ambler hit a double for the Rockets while Abbie Critchett, Ross, Snyder and Clark had singles.