Breckenridge at Fulton and Ashley – – Softball – – The Bleacher Denizen – – First Game of Doubleheader – – April 22, 2025 – – by Chuck Krafft
Today, your Bleacher Denizen is headed to Ashley High. Fulton and Ashley have a co-op softball team this year; as the MHSAA lists the team as Fulton, I will refer to the Fulton Pirates when I am referring to the coop team. Today’s opponents will be the Huskies from Breckenridge High.
This is the first time your Bleacher Denizen has ever been to Ashley’s softball field. It is a pretty nice facility located in a residential neighborhood. In fact, a couple people from the neighborhood are watching the game from their back yards!
While we wait for the game to start, here is a Boogie Woogie tune from my You Tube Channel to get your blood pumping!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1MxOus8t44
Breckenridge Coach Sydney Willman and Fulton Coach Clint Canfield were both really generous with their time and provided me with their starting lineups. As Fulton is the home team, Breckenridge will bat first.
BRECKENRIDGE
Lydia Slavik ss
Ady Collins p
Blair Davenport 3b
Emma Tinson cf
Leah Wale c
Ava Calthorp dp
Lily St. John 1b
Ryanna McCallister rf
Presley Butcher lf
Emily Anderson will play second base, but will not bat.
FULTON
Jaci Canfield p
Audrey Smolinski 2b
Hannah Warren cf
Kaya Canfield c
Jazmyne Good rf
Kerrigan Ryan ss
Addison Smolinski 1b
Zoe Schneider lf
Ellie Drummond 3b
It is now time to review the events of this game through the eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who will always cherish the memory of the only fair ball he ever hit in Little League. It was a bouncer to the shortstop; as your Bleacher Denizen is a right handed batter, he technically pulled it!!
Lydia Slavik obviously has no such difficulties with hitting a pitched ball as she led off the game with a home run over the left field fence for her Huskies. Ady Collins walked. Jaci Canfield retired the next hitter when her twin sister Kaya, the catcher, made a dive to catch a popup. Ady Collins advanced to third base when Emma Tinson was safe at first base on an error. Emma Tinson stole second base.
Leah Wale doubled down the left field line to drive Ady Collins and Emma Tinson home. Ava Colthorp singled to left field; the runner held at second base. Fulton Pitcher Jaci Canfield got the final two outs of the inning on a strikeout and a fielder’s choice grounder to third base.
Breckenridge scored three runs in the top of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead.
Jaci Canfield walked to lead off the bottom of the first inning for Fulton. Jaci Canfield stole second base and then third base. Breckenridge Pitcher Ady Collins struck out the next two Fulton hitters. Jaci Canfield scored on a passed ball. Ady Collins struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Fulton scored one run in the bottom of the first inning to trim the Breckenridge lead to 3-1.
Jaci Canfield struck out the Huskie leadoff batter in the top of the second inning. Lydia Slavik drew a walk. Lydia Slavik raced around the bases and scored when Ady Collins was safe at second base on an error. Ady Collins held at second base when the next Huskie hitter was out on a groundout to the shortstop. Ady Collins stole third base and scored when Emma Tinson was safe at first base on an error.
Fulton Shortstop Kerrigan Ryan made a diving stop of a hard grounder off the bat of Leah Wale. Leah Wale beat the throw to first for a single as Emma Tinson advanced to third base. Liberty Short entered the game as a courtesy runner for Leah Wale. Jaci Canfield retired the next batter on a groundout to third base to end the inning.
Breckenridge scored two runs in the top of the second inning to take a 5-1 lead.
Ady Collins struck out Fulton’s leadoff hitter in the bottom of the second inning and retired the next hitter on a liner to first base. Addison Smolinski was safe at first base on an error. Breckenridge Catcher Leah Wale snapped a throw to first base to pick off the runner to end the inning.
Lily St. John walked to lead off the top of the third inning for Breckenridge. Jaci Canfield struck out the next two Breckenridge batters and retired the next hitter on a fly to second base to end the inning.
Zoe Schneider beat out an infield single and went to second base on an overthrow to lead off the bottom of the third inning for Fulton. Zoe Schneider took third base when Ellie Drummond was safe at first base on an error. Ellie Drummond stole second base.
Jaci Canfield laid down a nice sacrifice bunt. Everyone was safe when Breckenridge tried to throw out Zoe Schneider at the plate, but the throw was too late. Ellie Drummond ended up on third base and Jaci Canfield on first. Jaci Canfield stole second base. Ady Collins struck out the next Fulton batter.
Jaci Canfield scored when Hannah Warren was safe at second base on an error. Kaya Canfield blasted a double to the right field fence to drive in Hannah Warren. Kaya Canfield reached third base on a throwing error. Ady Collins struck out the next Pirate hitter. Huskie Second Baseman Emily Anderson made a great diving attempt to stop the ball, by Kerrigan Ryan’s grounder made it to right field for a single that drove Kaya Canfield home. Ady Collins retired the next Pirate batter on a grounder to second base to end the inning.
Fulton scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 6-5 lead.
Jaci Canfield struck out the first two Breckenridge hitters in the top of the fourth inning. Emma Tinson singled to left field and stole second base. Jaci Canfield struck out the next hitter to end the inning.
Ady Collins retired the three Pirate fifth inning batters on a groundout to the shortstop, a bouncer to the pitcher and a popup to the pitcher.
Ava Colthorpe led off the top of the fifth inning for Breckenridge with a double to left field, but she was stranded there when Jaci Canfield retired the next three hitters on a fly to center field, a strikeout and a grounder to the shortstop.
Aubrey Smolinski was safe at second base on an error to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning for Fulton. Breckenridge Catcher Leah Wale whipped the ball to third base to catch the runner attempting to steal. Hannah Warren singled up the middle. She went to third base when Kaya Canfield got to second base on an infield single and throwing error. Jazmine Good hit a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop to drive Hannah Warren home. Kaya Canfield was out at third base and Jazmyne Good was safe at first base. Ady Collins struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Fulton scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning to boost its lead to 7-5.
Jaci Canfield retired the three Breckenridge batters in the top of the sixth inning on a foul popup to third base, a popup to second base and a bouncer to third base.
Ady Collins retired the Fulton leadoff batter in the bottom of the sixth inning on a grounder to second base. Zoe Schneider lined a single up the middle and went to second base when Ellie Drummond singled to right field. Jaci Canfield doubled to left field to drive Zoe Schneider home as Ellie Drummond advanced to third base. Ady Collins struck out the nexxt hitter and got the third out on a grounder to the shortstop.
Fulton scored one run in the sixth inning to extend its lead to 8-5.
Jaci Canfield struck out the Breckenridge leadoff hitter in the top of the seventh inning and got the second out on a fly to left field. Ava Colthorp singled to second base. Ava Brzak pinch ran for Ava Colthorp. Ava Brzak went to second base when Lily St. John grounded a single to left field. Fulton Shortstop Kerrigan Ryan backpedaled to catch a fly ball for the third out to end the game.
Fulton won the opener of this doubleheader by the score of 8-5.
Lydia Slavik had a home run and one RBI for Breckenridge. Ava Colthorp had a double and two singles. Leah Wale had a double, a single and two RBI. Emma Tinson and Lily St. John each had a single.
Ady Collins pitched a complete game and struck out seven batters.
Kaya Canfield had a double, a single and one RBI for Fulton. Jaci Canfield had a double and two RBI. Hannah Warren and Kerrigan Ryan each had one single and one RBI. Zoe Schneider and Ellie Drummond each had a single. Jaxmyne Good had one RBI.
Jaci Canfield pitched the complete game for Fulton and struck out 9 batters.
Here is the play by play of the second game. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2025/04/23/breckenridge-at-fulton-and-ashley-softball-second-game-of-doubleheader-the-bleacher-denizen-april-22-2025-by-chuck-krafft/