Eaton Rapids at Portland – – First Game – – Softball Doubleheader – – The Bleacher Denizen – – May 10, 2022 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, the Bleacher Denizen’s blogging journey takes him to Portland. (Someday, I plan to look into what certifications I will need so that I can refer to my travels as an odyssey!! What a day that will be!!) In my recent You Tube post of “Red River Valley on my “Chuck Krafft” Channel, I mention that you never know where the Red River Valley will lead you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w03AhhNk1M8

Well, unfortunately, it does not lead to Portland High School. However, Ionia Street does, so your Bleacher Denizen and the Eaton Rapids Greyhound Softball team were able to get her for the doubleheader hosted by the Portland Raiders.

Here are the starting lineups. Eaton Rapids will bat first in the first game.

EATON RAPIDS

Cadence McQuirt cf

Zoe Alvarez c

Flora Steien ss

Brooke DePeel 3b

Hailey DePeel 2b

Kayleigh DeShais p

Brooke Burns dp

Ella Patrick rf

Eden Daughenbaugh lf

PORTLAND

Bella VanAlstine lf

Gina Sonday 2b

Bailee Fish c

Jayden Townsend p

Autumn Reffitt 3b

Paige Pung cf

Stella Durrant ss

Anastasia Seidelman 1b

Let’s look at the events of this game through the lens of a semi athletic Bleacher Denizen whose baseball and softball careers were severely curtailed when he was not permitted to attach a bushel basket to his glove when playing in the outfield.

Cadence McQuirt opened the game for the Greyhounds with a triple to right field. Portland Pitcher Jayden Townsend retired the next two batters on a popup to third base and a popup to the pitcher’s circle. Cadence McQuirt scored when Brooke DePeel was safe at first on an error. Eaton Rapids made its final out of the inning on a fly to center field.

Eaton Rapids scored one run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.

Bella VanAlstine singled to open the bottom of the first inning for Portland. Bella VanAlstine took second base on a wild pitch and moved to third base when Gina Sonday grounded a single to right field. Gina Sonday stole second base. The next hitter was out on a fly to center field.

Jayden Townsend tripled to left field to drive in Bella VanAlstine and Gina Sonday. When she rounded third, Greyhound Catcher Zoe Alvarez alertly threw a strike to third base to get her out. Greyhound Pitcher Kayleigh DeShais struck out the next batter to end the inning.

Portland scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead.

Portland Pitcher Jayden Townsend struck out the Eaton Rapids leadoff batter in the top of the seventh inning. Brooke Burns walked and scored on Ella Patrick’s triple to the right field fence. Jayden Townsend retired the next two hitters on a line drive to the pitcher and a strikeout to hold Eaton Rapids to one run for the inning.

Eaton Rapids scored one run in the top of the second inning to tie the game at 2-2.

Anna Morris walked to lead off the second inning for the Raiders and advanced to second base on Stella Durrant’s sacrifice bunt. Kayleigh DeShais struck out the next two Portland batters to end the inning.

Jayden Townsend retired the first Greyhound batter in the third inning on a fly to the shortstop and got the next batter out on a liner to the pitcher. Brooke DePeel belted a double to deep centerfield. The next hitter was out on a grounder to shortstop to end the inning.

Gina Sonday singled to left to lead off the bottom of the third inning for Portland. Kayleigh DeShais struck out the next batter. Jayden Townsend singled to right field. Gina Sonday made a great hustle play to advance safely to second base. Kayleigh DeShais struck out the next hitter. Paige Pung doubled to center field to drive in Gina Sonday and Jayden Townsend.

A chipmunk made its presence known on the field and approached Portland Coach Brandee Novara, possibly to offer some advice. Coach Novara gave him a brief audience, but because the chipmunk was not properly clad in a softball uniform, he was ushered off the field!

Kayleigh DeShais overcame the chipmunk’s advice and struck out the next Raider hitter to end the inning.

Portland scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 4-2 lead.

Jayden Townsend retired the three Greyhound fourth inning batters on a strikeout, a squib that was fielded by the catcher and another strikeout.

Kayleigh DeShais struck out the Portland leadoff batter in the bottom of the fourth inning. The next batter was out on a line drive to the shortstop. Bella VanAlstine doubled to left field. Kayleigh DeShais got the third Portland out of the inning on a grounder to first base.

Eden Daughenbaugh singled up the middle to open the top of the fifth inning for Eaton Rapids. Jayden Townsend retired the next three batters on two flies to centerfield and got the third out on a foul fly to third base. Portland third baseman Autumn Reffitt made a great running catch to secure the out.

Kayleigh DeShais retired the first two Raider batters in the bottom of the fifth inning on a fly to shortstop and a great running catch by Centerfielder Cadence McQuirt, who made a great play going back on the ball. Autumn Reffitt singled up the middle. Kayleigh DeShais struck out the next batter to end the inning.

With five full innings in the books, Portland had a 4-2 lead.

Brooke DePeel singled on a line drive off the second baseman’s glove to open the top of the sixth inning for Eaton Rapids. She went to second base on a wild pitch and took third base on Hailey DePeel’s single up the middle. When the throw from the outfield went to home plate to keep Brooke DePeel at third base, Hailey DePeel went to second base. Pinch Hitter Mariah Salazar singled off the third baseman’s glove to drive Brooke DePeel in. Hailey DePeel had to hold at second base to avoid running into an out.

Hailey DePeel went to third base and Mariah Salazar to second base on a wild pitch. Jayden Townsend struck out the next batter. Ella Patrick singled to centerfield to drive in Hailey DePeel. When Mariah Salazar was caught in a rundown and tagged out, Ella Patrick took second base. Jayden Townsend struck out the next batter to end the inning.

Eaton Rapids scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 4-4.

Kayleigh DeShais retired the three Raider hitters in the sixth inning on a strikeout, a fly to first base and another strikeout.

Cadence McQuirt singled to center field to open the top of the seventh inning for the Greyhounds. She went to second base on Zoe Alvarez’ groundout to the pitcher. Flora Steien singled just past first base and Cadence McQuirt advanced to third base. Cadence McQuirt scored the tie-breaking run and Flora Steien went to third base on a passed ball.

Flora Steien scored on Brooke DePeel’s groundout to second base. Hailey DePeel lined a single to left field and went to second base on a passed ball. Jayden Townsend struck out the next batter to end the inning.

Eaton Rapids scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 6-4 lead.

Kayleigh DeShais struck out the Portland leadoff batter in the bottom of the seventh inning. She retired the next hitter on a foul fly to third base. Bailee Fish lined a single to left field. Greyhound Right Fielder Ella Patrick made a valiant effort to make a running catch of a drive to right field by Jayden Townsend, but it glanced off her glove for a triple that drove in Bailee Fish. Kayleigh DeShais retired the next hitter on a grounder to the shortstop to end the game.

Portland scored one run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Eaton Rapids won this exciting game that featured a couple lead changes by a 6-5 score.

Jayden Townsend had two triples, a single and three RBI for Portland in addition to pitching the complete game. Bella VanAlstine had a single and a double. Gina Sonday had two singles. Paige Pung had a double and two RBI. Bailee Fish and Autumn Reffitt each had a single.

Ella Patrick had a triple, a single and two RBI for Eaton Rapids. Cadence McQuirt had a triple and a single. Brooke DePeel had a single, a double and an RBI. Hailey DePeel had two singles. Fora Steien had a single and one RBI. Eden Daughenbaugh had a single.

Kayleigh DeShais pitched the complete game for Eaton Rapids and struck out eleven batters.

Here is a link to the play by play blog from the second game!
https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2022/05/11/eaton-rapids-at-portland-second-game-softball-doubleheader-the-bleacher-denizen-may-10-2022-by-chuck-krafft/