PARK TOWNSHIP - It’s always great to beat rival Mona Shores, which the Reeths-Puffer softball team did again on Saturday.
But it’s tough to end a great 26-win season without any trophies to show for it.
After beating the Sailors 5-3 in a semifinal game on Saturday, the Rockets went up against a good Grand Haven squad and fell 3-1 in the championship game of the Division 1 district tournament at West Ottawa High School.
It marked the second straight year that R-P ended the season with a loss to Grand Haven in districts.
The Rockets ended with a 26-8 record. They finished as a runner-up in the O-K Green conference. the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association tournament and the district tournament.
R-P's Lainey McDaniel slides into second. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“We talked to the girls at the end of the game and told them how proud we are of them,” said R-P head coach Sarah Bayle. “It was frustrating not to get a trophy this season. It was a very emotional team circle afterward. There was not a lot to say to make them feel better."
The Rockets overcame some defensive struggles against Mona Shores to pull out the victory, their third in four games against the Sailors this season.
R-P grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when McDaniel reached base on an error, advanced to second and third, then scored on an RBI single by Tessa Ross.
The Rockets made it 3–0 in the third inning when McDaniel walked and scored on an RBI double by Lorelei Herrygers, who then crossed the plate on an RBI single by Ross.
The game got closer in the fourth inning when Mona Shores scored two runs on only one hit, due to three Reeths-Puffer errors.
R-P's Kenzie Jacobs makes a throw across the infield. Photo/Jeremy Clark
R-P got its final two runs in the fifth inning when the Sailors took their turn making defensive mistakes.
McDaniel singled, stole second and reached third on an error. Mady Reichert legged out a bunt single, then the Sailors threw the ball away trying to pick off McDaniel on the same play, allowing her to cross the plate and make the score 4-2.
Ross reached base when her pop-up was dropped by the Mona Shores shortstop, leaving runners on first and third with two outs. Kenzie Jacobs then delivered an RBI single to left field to make the score 5-2.
The game got a little scary in the bottom of the seventh when Mona Shores scored another run, and had runners on first and second with two outs, because of two more R-P errors.
The final Sailor batter hit a hard liner to right field that could have been big trouble, but Reichert made a nice running catch to seal up the win.
R-P's Tessa Ross prepares to take a cut at a pitch. Photo/Jeremy Clark
“If that had gotten past her, it could have gone in the corner and tied the game,” Bayle said. “That was really exciting. It was not an easy catch to make.”
McDaniel, a senior who will play at Ferris State University next season, was very strong in the pitchers circle, scattering four hits with nine strikeouts and only one walk.
“She was on fire yesterday,” Bayle said about McDaniel. “Probably both games were her best performances of the season. She was hitting her spots, and Tessa Ross did a great job behind the plate, too. She called every pitch for both games and was phenomenal.”
Reeths-Puffer had its chances in the championship game against Grand Haven, but could not get its offense moving.
The Rockets scored their only run in the bottom of the first inning when McDaniel hustled out a double on a hit to shallow left field, then scored when Reichert reached base on an error.
McDaniel struck out 16 batters in the two games combined. Photo/Jeremy Clark
R-P ended the inning by stranding what would have been a valuable run at third base. The Rockets advanced another runner to third in the second inning, but could not get her across the plate, either.
McDaniel led off the third inning by reaching base due to catcher interference. She stole second, but then was thrown out while trying to advance another base on the same play.
Grand Haven took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning on a two-run single to left by Makenna Vanderbrink.
R-P had two big chances to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth when both Ross and Carlie Guikema hit balls over the fence that were barely foul.
The Buccaneers made it 3-1 in the top of the sixth when Lorelei Chuuck doubled and came home on an RBI double by Vanderbrink.
McDaniel, right, and Ross embrace after the loss. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The bottom of the sixth started out hopeful for the Rockets when McDaniel walked and Reichert reached on a bunt single, but the next three batters failed to move them along.
The Rockets struck out three times in the bottom of the seventh, ending the contest.
“I thought we put pressure on them,” Bayle said. “We put the bat on the ball quite often. We just couldn’t string enough together.”
R-P said goodbye to four seniors - McDaniel, Caydence Rettinhouse, Ava Gibbs and Taylor Long – but will have the vast majority of the team back next season.
“We will have six seniors next near, and we are excited to see Makalya Jewett take over as the number one pitcher as a sophomore,” Bayle said. “We will have two senior catchers who will do a great job. I am looking forward to it.”