Laingsburg vs. Lansing Catholic – – MHSAA Softball District Final – – The Bleacher Denizen – – May 31, 2025
We have completed the two semifinal games of the softball district at Lansing Catholic High School. The Lansing Catholic Cougars beat Bath 17-0 in three innings in the second semifinal of the day. In the first game, the Laingsburg Wolfpack defeated Perry to earn its spot in the semifinal. Here is the play by play of that game. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2025/05/31/laingsburg-vs-perry-mhsaa-softball-district-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-may-31-2025-by-chuck-krafft/
In this championship game, Laingsburg won the coin flip and will be the opening team. Lansing Catholic will bat first. Here are the starting lineups.
LANSING CATHOLIC
Austyn Arellano cf
Alyssa LaConte ss
Avery Dunneback 3b
Taylor Dunneback c
Zoey Gruber p
Natalie Young 2b
Katy Howard 1b
Sydney Convey rf
Brooklyn Gorski dp
Ava Garcia will play left field, but will not bat.
LAINGSBURG
Savvy Stirm 1b
Alayna Merrell 2b
Bella Latuszek ss
Addy Buchin p
Peyton Stahr 3b
Harper Strouse c
Makenna JOhnston rf
Alaina Asher lf
JuJu Latuszek cf
The silver-tounged Angela Madden announced the starting lineups and played the National Anthem!
It is now time to review the events of this game through the occasionally alert eyes of a Bleacher Denizen who never really had much of a baseball or softball career. However, he is proud to remember how umpires and opposing catchers loved the cooling breezes generated by my attempts to make bats collide with baseballs. It is always heartwarming when I see them at this stage of life and they remind me of it!
Austynn Arellano led off the top of the first inning for Lansing Catholic and made a bid for a single to right field, but Makenna Johnson made a great running catch to get her out. Alyssa LaConte singled up the middle. JuJu Latuszek made a running catch in center field to get the second Catholic out of the inning. Taylor Dunneback walked and Alyssa LaConte went to second base. Zoey Gruber walked to load the bases as Alyssa LaConte went to third base and Taylor Dunneback to second. Laingsburg Pitcher Addy Buchin retired the next Catholic hitter on a fielder’s choice grounder to third base to end the inning.
Lansing Catholic PItcher Zoey Gruber struck out Laingsburg’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the second inning and retired the next hitter on a foul fly to third base where Avery Dunneback made a fine play. Bella Latuszek singled to right-center field. Addy Buchin singled to right field and Bella Latuszek advanced to third base. Jaylynn Smith entered the game as a courtesy runner for Addy Buchin. Zoey Gruber retired the next Wolfpack hitter on a one-bouncer to first base to end the inning.
Addy Buchin retired the three Catholic hitters in the top of the second inning on a fly to center field, a grounder to the shortstop and a grounder to the pitcher.
Harper Strouse was safe at second base on an error to lead off the bottom of the second inning for Laingsburg. She went to third base on a groundout to second base by Makenna Johnston and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Alaina Asher. Zoey Gruber retired the next Laingsburg hitter on a grounder to first base to end the inning.
Laingsburg scored one run in the bottom of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead.
Addy Buchin retired Catholic’s leadoff batter in the top of the third inning on a grounder to third base. Alyssa LaConte walked. Addy Buchin retired the next two Cougar batters on a fly to right field and a popup to first base to end the inning.
Savvy Stirm singled up the middle to lead off the bottom of the third inning for Laingsburg and went to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Alayna Merrell. Savvy Stirm took third base on a single to center field by Bella Latuszek. Austynn Arellano made a fine throw from center field to hold the runner at third base.
Savvy Stirm scored and Bella Latuszek went to second base when Addy Buchin was safe at first base on an error. Jaylynn Smith entered the game as a courtesy runner for Addy Buchin. Zoey Gruber retired the next Wolfpack batter on a fly to left field. Harper Strouse doubled to deep center field to drive in Bella Latuszek as Jaylynn Smith advanced to third base. Zoe Gruber retired the next batter on a line drive to second base to end the inning.
Laingsburg scored two runs in the top of the third inning to boost its lead to 3-0.
Addy Buchin struck out Catholic’s leadoff batter in the top of the fourth inning. Natalie Young walked and advanced to third base when Katy Howard blasted a double to deep center field. Natalie Young scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Sydney Convey. Catholic made its third out on a grounder to second base.
Lansing Catholic scored one run in the top of the fourth inning to shave the Laingsburg lead to 3-1.
Zoey Gruber retired the three Laingsburg hitters in the bottom of the fourth inning on a fly to center field, a grounder to second base and a fly to center field where Austynn Arellano made an excellent running catch.
Addy Buchin retired Catholic’s leadoff batter in the top of the line drive to the shortstop. Alyssa LaConte singled to right field and advanced all the way to third base on an error. Alyssa LaConte scored when Avery Dunneback doubled to left field. Addy Buchin retired the next two Cougar hitters on a popup to the shortstop and a popup to the pitcher.
Lansing Catholic scored one run in the top of the fifth inning to trim the Laingsburg lead to 3-2.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Zoe Gruber struck out the first two Laingsburg batters and got the third out on a grounder to the shortstop.
Addy Buchin retired the three Cougar batters in the top of the sixth inning on two flies to center field where JuJu Latuszek made nice running catches and a line drive to the shortstop.
Zoe Gruber retired the three Wolfpack batters in the bottom of the sixth inning on a grounder to third base, a strikeout and a fly to left field.
Brooklyn Gorski singled to right field to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning for Catholic. Ava Garcia pinch ran for Brooklyn Gorski. Brooklyn Gorski was out at second base on a fielder’s choice grounder to second base and Austynn Arellano was safe at first base; Austynn Arellano advanced to second on an overthrow and went to third base when Alyssa LaConte beat out an infield single. Alyssa LaConte stole second base.
Avery Dunneback singled to center field to drive in Austynn Arellano and Alyssa LaConte with the tying and go-ahead runs; she advanced to second base on an error. Addy Buchin retired the next two Cougar batters on a popup to first base and a fly to right field.
Lansing Catholic scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 4-3 lead.
Zoe Gruber retired the first two Laingsburg batters on a fly where second baseman Natalie Young made a fin running catch going back into the outfield and a roller to second base. Savvy Stirm singled and went to third base when Alayna Merrell was safe at first base on an error. Alayna Merrell stole second base.
Bella Latuszek grounded a single up the middle to drive Savvy Stirm home with the tying run and Alayna Merrell home with the winning run.
Laingsburg won this game by the final score of 5-4 and will play in next week’s regional at Leslie.
Avery Dunneback had a double, a single and three RBI for Catholic. Alyssa LaConte had three singles. Katy Howard had a double. Brooklyn Gorski had a single. Sydney Convey had one RBI.
Zoey Gruber pitched the complete game for the Cougars and struck out four batters.
Bella Latuszek had three singles and two RBI for Laingsburg. Savvy Stirm had two singles. Harper Strouse had a double and one RBI. Addy Buchin had a single and one RBI. Alaina Asher had one RBI.
Addy Buchin pitched the complete game for the Wolfpack and struck out one batter.