Mendon vs. Unionville-Sebewaing Area – – MHSAA State Softball Semifinal – – The Bleacher Denizen – – June 14, 2024 – – by Chuck Krafft
This afternoon, the Mendon Hornets are playing the Patriots from Unionville-Sebewaing in the State Softball Semifinal!
Unionville Sebewaing is the defending state champion and enters the game with a 29-11 record. The Patriots beat Plymouth Christian in the quarterfinal to advance to this game.
Gabriella Crumm leads the Patriots with a .513 batting average. She has 22 doubles, 11 home runs and 55 RBI. Ella Neumann has a .432 average with 12 doubles, 5 home runs and 31 RBI. Erin Jubar has a .416 average and 24 RBI. Rylie Betson is batting .411 with 14 doubles and 29 RBI. Olivia Green is batting .406 with 8 home runs and 34 RBI.
Olivia Green has pitched 92 2/3 innings with a 1.51 ERA and 163 strikeouts. She has an 11-5 won/lost record. Rylie Betson has pitched 116 innings with a 2.59 ERA and 140 strikeouts. She has a 15-6 record.
The Mendon Hornets bring a 38-4 record into this game. The Hornets defeated Dansville in the quarterfinal to advance to this game. I covered that game and here is the play by play. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2024/06/11/dansville-vs-mendon-mhsaa-softball-quarterfinal-the-bleacher-denizen-june-11-2024-by-chuck-krafft/
Jadyn Samson leads the Hornets with a .574 batting average. She also has 12 doubles, 7 triples and 42 RBI. Brielle Bailey is hitting .487 with 17 doubles and 64 RBI. Rowan Allen is batting .449 with 13 doubles and 50 RBI. Kaidee Gonser is batting .444 with 6 doubles and 48 RBI. Cienna Nightingale has a .434 average as well as 20 doubles and 55 RBI. Ally Butler is hitting .391 with 12 doubles and 42 RBI. Her twin sister, Abby Butler is hitting .389 with 9 doubles and 28 RBI. Taya Bingaman is hitting .381 with 11 doubles and 35 RBI.
Rowan Allen has a 1.37 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 111 2/3 innings pitched. Her won/lost record is 17-2. Ally Butler has a 2.16 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched. Her record is 13-2.
Here are the starting lineups. Unionville-Sebewaing (“USA” to save wear and tear on the Bleacher Denizen’s aging fingers) will be the visiting team and bat first.
UNIONVILLE-SEBEWAING
Rylie Betson 3b
Ella Neumann ss
Gabriella Crum c
Jenna Gremel lf
Olivia Green p
Natalie Degroat cf
Erin Jubar 1b
Macy Prime 2b
Layla Bolzman rf
MENDON
Jadyn Samson ss
Rowan Allen p
Kaidee Gonser lf
Taya Bingaman cf
Brielle Bailey 3b
Ally Butler 1b
Cienna Nightingale c
Abby Butler rf
Gracie Schultz dp
Brooke Gerth will play second base, but will not bat.
It is now time to review the results of this game through the somewhat open eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen whose softball career never really got started. However, to this day, opposing catchers and umpires fondly remember the cooling breezes generated by the Bleacher Denizen’s flailing efforts at hitting baseballs!!
Rylie Betson led off with a single. When an error was made on the play, Rylie Betson got all the way to third base. Mendon Pitcher Rowan Allen retired the next USA hitter on a grounder to the pitcher; she made sure Rylie Betson did not score before she threw the ball to first base. Gabriella Crumm singled to right field to drive in Rylie Betson.
Kate Beagle entered the game as a courtesy runner for Gabriella Crumm. Kate Beagle took second base on a wild pitch. Rowan Allen struck out the next two Patriot hitters to end the inning.
Unionville-Sebewaing scored one run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.
Jadyn Samson led off the bottom of the first inning for Mendon with a single to left field. USA Pitcher Olivia Green struck out the next Hornet batter. Jadyn Samson aggressively advanced to third base when Kaidee Gonser was safe at first base on an error. Kaidee Gonser went to second base on the throw to third base. Olivia Green retired the next batter on a popup to the shortstop. Olivia Green struck out the next Mendon batter to end the inning.
Mendon Pitcher Rowan Allen retired the first two USA hitters in the top of the second inning on a bouncer to the pitcher and a grounder to third base. Mendon Right Fielder Abby Butler took a single away from the next Patriot hitter by catching the ball on the bounce and firing it to first base before the hitter got there.
Ally Butler led off the bottom of the second inning for the Hornets with a walk. Cienna Nightingale singled to right field and Ally Butler took second base. Patriot Pitcher Olivia Green retired the next two Hornet hitters on a strikeout and a fly to right field. Jadyn Samson clouted a triple to deep center field to drive in Ally Butler and Cienna Nightingale. USA Catcher Gabriella Crumm ranged far to catch a foul popup for the third Mendon out.
Mendon scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 2-1 lead.
USA Third Inning Leadoff Batter Layla Bolzman was safe at first base on an error and stole second base. After Rowan Allen struck out the next Patriot hitter, Layla Bolzman stole third base. Ella Neumann singled to drive in Layla Bolzman; Ella Neumann reached third base on an overthrow. Gabriella Crumm singled to right field to drive in Ella Neumann and took second base on a throwing error.
Kate Beagle came in as a courtesy runner for Gabriella Crumm. Kate Beagle took third base on a wild pitch. Kate Beagle scored on an RBI groundout to the pitcher by Jenna Gremel. USA made its third out of the inning on a fly to right field.
USA scored three runs in the top of the third inning to take a 4-2 lead.
Patriot Pitcher Olivia Green retired the three Hornet hitters in the bottom of the third inning on a fly to right field, a popup to second base and a strikeout.
Hornet Pitcher Rowan Allen retired the three Patriot hitters in the top of the fourth inning on two flies to right field and a fly to the pitcher.
Olivia Green struck out Mendon’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cienna Nightingale blasted a double off the left field fence. Abby Butler singled to drive Cienna Nightingale home. Olivia Green retired the next two Hornet batters on a strikeout and a fly to left field to end the inning.
Mendon scored one run in the bottom of the fourth inning to trim the USA lead to 4-3.
Layla Bolzman was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the fifth inning for the Patriots and stole second base. She also stole third base. Layla Bolzman scored on an RBI grounder to the shortstop by Rylie Betson. Hornet Pitcher Rowan Allen struck out the next Patriot hitter and got the third out when Right Fielder Abby Butler made an excellent running catch of a bid for a bloop single by Gabriella Crum.
Unionville-Sebewaing scored one run in the top of the fifth inning to build its lead to 5-3.
Rowan Allen blooped a double to center field to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning for Mendon. Kaidee Gonser singled to right field and Rowan Allen advanced to third base with no one out. USA Center Fielder Natalie Degroat made an excellent diving effort, but Taya Bingaman’s drive fell for a double. Rowan Allen scored on the play and Kaidee Gonser went to third base.
Olivia Green struck out the next Hornet batter. USA Second Baseman Macy Prime leaped to grab a hot line drive by Ally Butler for the second Hornet out. Mendon made its third out of the inning on a bouncer to the pitcher.
Mendon scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning to shave the USA lead to 5-4.
Rowan Allen retired the first two USA batters in the top of the sixth inning on a bouncer to the pitcher and a strikeout. Natalia Degroat hit the ball so hard off the top of the left field fence that Mendon Left Fielder Kaidee Gonser got the ball right away and was able to hold her to a single. USA made its final out of the inning on a bouncer to the pitcher.
Olivia Green retired the first two Hornet hitters in the top of the sixth inning on a strikeout and a foul popup to the catcher. Jadyn Samson beat out an infield single. Olivia Green struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Unionville-Sebewaing had a 5-4 lead going into the top of the seventh inning.
Macy Prime singled to right field to lead off the top of the seventh inning for USA and took second base on a sacrifice bunt by Layla Bolzman. Rylie Betson singled to right field to drive Macy Prime home; she took second base on the throw to the plate. Mendon Third Baseman Brielle Bailey grabbed a hot shot by Gabriella Crumm and threw her out at first base to end the inning.
Unionville-Sebewaing scored one run in the top of the seventh inning to extend its lead to 6-4.
Olivia Green retired the first two Mendon hitters in the bottom of the seventh inning on a strikeout and a grounder to the pitcher. Brielle Bailey drew a walk. Ally Butler walked. Cienna Nightingale got her third hit of the day when she singled up the middle to drive in Brielle Bailey. Ally Butler went to second base.
The tying run was on second base with two out. The winning run was on first base. Olivia Green struck out the next Hornet batter to end the game.
Unionville-Sebewaing won the game 6-5 and will play Holton in Saturday’s state final game.
Jadyn Samson had two singles, a triple and two RBI for Mendon. Cienna Nightingale had a double, two singles and one RBI. Taya Bingaman had a double and one RBI. Rowan Allen had a double. Abby Butler had a single and one RBI. Kaidee Gonser had a single.
Rowan Allen pitched the complete game for Mendon. Only two of the runs scored against her were earned runs and she struck out five batters.
Rylie Betson and Gabriella Crumm each had two singles and two RBI for Unionville-Sebewaing. Ella Neumann had a single and one RBI. Natalie Degroat and Macy Prime each had a single.
Olivia Green pitched the complete game for the Patriots and struck out eleven batters.