BYRON CENTER - The Reeths-Puffer softball team delivered a clutch performance in the first game of a conference showdown with first-place Byron Center on Tuesday, beating the state-ranked Bulldogs.
That pulled the Rockets even with Byron Center at the top of the O-K Green conference standings - at least for the moment.
R-P took a step back a while later, however, losing Game 2 and and falling back into second place, one game behind the Bulldogs.
R-P's Kenzie Jacobs bunts. Photo/Tyler Lirones
The split kept the Rockets in the conference race, but time is running out. Each team has only two O-K Green games left, so R-P will probably have to sweep a doubleheader against Jenison next week, and hope Byron Center loses at least once, to earn at least a share of the title.
The Rockets needed a strong showing in the first game on Tuesday and met the challenge, posting a gritty 4-2 win, showcasing timely hitting and strong situational play.
Reeths-Puffer struck first with a run in the opening inning. Byron Center answered to tie the game in the third inning before taking a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
The Rockets answered with a big moment in the sixth inning when freshman Carly Guikema blasted a home run to left-center field to tie the game at 2-2.
R-P's Carlie Guikema runs the bases. Photo/Tyler Lirones
That momentum carried into the seventh.
Lainey McDaniel led off the inning with a double to the left field wall, putting immediate pressure on Byron Center. A bunt from Maddie Reichert created chaos on the basepaths, resulting in both a hit and an error that allowed McDaniel to score the go-ahead run.
The Rockets added an insurance run moments later when Kenzie Jacobs drove a double to center field, bringing home Reichert and extending the lead to 4-2.
R-P's Ava Gibbs takes a cut at a pitch. Photo/Tyler Lirones
From there, Reeths-Puffer closed the door defensively. A groundout and lineout set the stage for a game-sealing strikeout.
McDaniel pitched and allowed six hits, one earned run and one walk while striking out nine. nine
"I think we kind of got back to what we were doing in the beginning of the season," said R-P head coach Sarah Bayle. "We played a lot of small ball. Maddie Reichert had three bunts in that game to really push some people around. Carly had her first home run, which was awesome to see."
Game 2 was a different story, with the Rockets falling 17-7.
R-P's Lainey McDaniel delivers a pitch. Photo/Tyler Lirones
Reeths-Puffer showed plenty of fight offensively, scoring four runs in the first inning, and one apiece in the second, third and seventh.
Maddie Reichert homered on a line drive to center field in the second inning, giving the Rockets a 5-3 lead.
R-P Coach Sarah Bayle addresses the team. Photo/Tyler Lirones
But Byron Center responded with a series of big innings, taking advantage of errors and stringing together hits to regain control. The Bulldogs scored three runs in the second inning, four in the third, two in the fourth, one in the fifth, one in the sixth and six in the seventh.
The Rockets were stung by several injuries in the game, leaving them with a short bench and several girls playing unfamiliar defensive positions.
"I think injuries played a part, and we didn’t have a lot of flexibility with our lineup at times," Bayle said. "We were both hitting the ball, but theirs seemed to fall and ours didn’t."