Fowler vs. Portland St. Patrick – – MHSAA Softball District Final – – The Bleacher Denizen – – June 4, 2022 – – by Chuck Krafft
It’s time for the big showdown! The Fowler Eagles and the Portland St. Patrick Shamrocks have advanced to the final game of the District at Carson City!
Here are the two games to show how these teams ended up in the finals!
Fowler Semifinal game vs. Carson City-Crystal
https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2022/06/04/fowler-vs-carson-city-crystal-mhsaa-district-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-june-3-2022-by-chuck-krafft/
St. Patrick Semifinal game vs. Fulton
https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2022/06/05/fulton-vs-portland-st-patrick-mhsaa-softball-district-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-june-4-2022-by-chuck-krafft/
While we are waiting for the teams to warm up, maybe we can listen to some Good Vibrations from my “Chuck Krafft” You Tube Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3482fQh0Rdo
Let’s take a look at the starting lineups. St. Patrick will bat first and Fowler will be the home team.
ST. PATRICK
Rylee Scheurer p
Carly Scheurer cf
Lydia Meredith ss
Mara Schrauben 3b
Addie Scheurer c
Natalee Teachworth 1b
Emma Honsowitz 2b
Bella Meyers dp
Laynie Meredith rf
Tori Sandborn will play left field, but will not bat.
FOWLER:
Avery Koenigsknecht c
Grace Piggott 3b
Paisley Hansen 1b
Carly Andros p
Anna Andros rf
Bri Halfmann dp
Brooke Weber 2b
Chloe Feldpausch rf
Makenna Smith ss
Faith Boyd will play centerfield, but not bat.
It is now time to look at the events of this game from the somewhat clear perspective of an Aging Bleacher Denizen whose Baseball and Softball careers were abruptly ended prematurely. Your Bleacher Denizen got confused when he was trying to help the team. ALAS! It turns out that you are supposed to steal BASES, not VASES!!! After a couple shoplifting arrests, your Bleacher Denizen was never allowed back on the team. We all have to live and learn, I suppose.
Rylee Scheurer singled to lead off the game for St. Patrick. Ordinarily, I don’t name runners who get thrown out stealing, but Avery Koenigsknecht made an amazing throw to catch Rylee Scheurer stealing. I routinely watch Rylee Scheurer simply outrun throws from catchers who have done everything right as she racks up stolen base after stolen base. (I wonder if she is the fastest player in our area this year.) Kudos, Avery. Rylee will be back to her old nefarious base stealing self shortly, I’m sure!!!
But I digress. Back to the game! Carly Scheurer walked and went to second base on a wild pitch. Lydia Meredith walked. The next Shamrock hitter was out on a fly to center field. Addie Scheurer rapped a single off the third baseman’s glove to drive in Carly Scheurer; Lydia Meredith advanced to second base. Carly Andros struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Rylee Scheurer (who is also an excellent pitcher in addition to her magnificent base running prowess) struck out the first two Eagle batters in the bottom of the first inning. She retired the next batter on a fly to right field to end the inning.
Carly Andros retired the three Shamrock hitters in the second inning on a fly to the shortstop, a foul popup to first base and a strikeout.
Rylee Scheurer struck out the Eagle leadoff batter in the second inning. The next batter was out on a bouncer to third base. Rylee Scheurer struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Carly Andros retired the Shamrock leadoff hitter in the top of the third inning on a popup to the shortstop. Carly Scheurer blasted a double to the left field fence and took third base on Lydia Meredith’s groundout to the shortstop. Mara Schrauben singled to centerfield to drive in Carly Scheurer; she advanced to second base on Addie Scheurer’s infield single. Carly Andros got the final Shamrock out of the inning on a liner to the pitcher.
St. Patrick scored one run in the top of the third inning to boost its lead to 2-0.
Riley Scheurer retired the first two Eagle batters in the bottom of the third inning on a fly to right field and a strikeout. Makenna Smith singled and stole second base. Riley Scheurer struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Carly Andros retired the three Shamrock fourth inning hitters on a foul fly to the catcher, a strikeout and a groundout to the shortstop.
Riley Scheurer retired the Eagle leadoff batter in the bottom of the fourth inning. Paisley Hansen lined a single to right field and moved to second base when Carly Andros walked. Paisley Hansen and Carly Andros executed a double steal to put runners on third and second base with just one out. Rylee Scheurer struck out the next batter. When the runner on third base tried to come home on a wild pitch to the subsequent batter, Shamrock Catcher Addie Scheurer quickly got to the ball and got it to Rylee Scheurer in time to tag the runner out to end the inning.
With four full innings in the books, St. Patrick’s lead was at 2-0.
Carly Andros retired the first two Shamrock hitters in the fifth inning on a grounder to the shortstop and a popup to the pitcher. Lydia Meredith was safe at first when a third strike was mishandled; she then stole second base. Carly Andros struck out the next hitter to end the inning.
Rylee Scheurer retired the three Fowler batters in the bottom of the fifth inning on a strikeout and two grounders to third base. Shamrock First Baseman Natalee Teachworth made a great scoop on the throw from third base on the final out to prevent a possible error.
Addie Scheurer was safe on an error to open the sixth inning for the Shamrocks. She advanced to second base when Natalee Teachworth was safe on an error when she laid down a sacrifice bunt. Emma Honsowitz’ sacrifice bunt moved Addie Scheurer to third base and Natalee Teachworth to second base.
Tori Sandborn was safe at first on a squib hit to the catcher as Avery Koenigsknecht elected to make sure that Addie Scheurer did not score on the play. Laynie Meredith hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Addie Scheurer. St. Patrick made its final out of the inning on a grounder to second base.
St. Patrick scored one run in the top of the sixth inning to push its lead to 3-0.
Rylee Scheurer struck out the first two Eagle batters in the bottom of the sixth inning. St. Patrick right fielder Laynie Meredith made an excellent running grab of a bid for extra bases by Grace Piggott to end the inning.
Carly Scheurer rifled a triple down the right field line to lead off the seventh inning for St. Patrick. Carly Scheurer scored when Lydia Meredith was safe at first base on an error. Lydia Meredith advanced to second base on a passed ball. Lydia Meredith took third base when Mara Schrauben singled to left field. Mara Schrauben was able to advance to second base on a throw to the plate.
Lydia Meredith was out at the plate when Fowler Pitcher Carly Andros reacted quickly to an attempted sacrifice bunt and got the ball to the catcher in time. Mara Schrauben moved to third base and Addie Scheurer was safe at first base. Natalee Teachworth beat out an infield hit to drive in Mara Schrauben; Addie Scheurer advanced to third and Natalee Teachworth to second on a throwing error on the play. Emma Honsowitz drove in Addie Scheurer with a sacrifice fly to right field. Carly Andros struck out the next batter to end the inning.
St. Patrick scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to extend its lead to 6-0.
Rylee Scheurer retired the first two Eagle hitters in the bottom of the seventh inning on a popup to the shortstop and a grounder to second base. Anna Andros was hit by a pitch. Riley Scheurer got the next batter out on a popup to the mound to end the game.
St. Patrick won the game 6-0 and will play in next week’s Regional at Carson City!
Paisley Hansen and Makenna Smith each had a single for Fowler. Carly Andros pitched a complete game against a rugged St. Patrick team.
Carly Scheurer had a double and a triple for St. Patrick. Mara Schrauben and Addie Scheurer each had two singles and an RBI. Natalee Teachworth had a single and an RBI. Rylee Scheurer had a single. Emma Honsowitz and Laynie Meredith each had an RBI.