Laingsburg vs. Grass Lake – – MHSAA Division 3 Softball Quarterfinal – – The Bleacher Denizen – – June 10, 2025 – – by Chuck Krafft

Today, your Bleacher Denizen is off to Jackson College where the Laingsburg Wolfpack will take on the Warriors from Grass Lake to see who will play in Friday’s semifinal game at Michigan State University. It was a nice day for a drive and the BleacherDenizenMobile (with a bit of help from GPS) made it to Jackson College. The people at Jackson College generously allowed me to take notes in the pressbox.

While it looked like it might rain and was a bit cool, the rains never came and your Bleacher Denizen was able to leave his ark in the garage. More importantly, the game was played without any interruptions.

Grass Lake won the coin toss and will be the home team. Laingsburg will bat first. Here are the starting lineups!

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

GRASS LAKE

Emily Brown cf

Leilah Smith 2b

Bree Salts c

Makenzie Hilberer ss

Nadene Hubbard 1b

Morgan Conrad p

Kennedy Collins 3b

Reese Lape lf

Addalynn Hensen rf

It is now time to review the events of this game through the occasionally open eyes of an aging Bleacher Denizen who never had much of a baseball or softball career. He developed a system that was helping him to make more contact, but when the powers that be ruled that he could no longer put iron shavings inside the ball and magnets in his bat, everything fell apart. Alas, sometimes a good idea just isn’t enough!!

Savvy Stirm was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the first inning for the Wolfpack. She advanced to second base when Alayna Merrell walked. Bella Latuszek doubled to right field to drive Savvy Stirm home as Alayna Merrell advanced to third base. Alayna Merrell scored on an RBI groundout to the shortstop by Addy Buchin. Grass Lake Pitcher Morgan Conrad struck out the next two Wolfpack hitters to end the inning.

Laingsburg scored two runs in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead.

Emily Brown walked to lead off the bottom of the first inning for Grass Lake. Leilah Smith singled to center field and Emily Brown advanced to third base. Leilah Smith went to second base on the throw to third base. Bree Salts walked to load the bases. Makenzie Hilberer was safe at first base and Emily Brown out at home when Laingsburg Pitcher Addy Buchin fielded a bunt and threw the ball home. Leilah Smith advanced to third base and Bree Salts to second base.

Leilah Smith scored when Nadene Hubbard walked as Bree Salts went to third base and Makenzie Hilberer to second. Bree Salts scored on an RBI grounder to first base by Morgan Conrad. Addy Buchin struck out the next Warrior batter to end the inning.

Grass Lake scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game at 2-2.

In the top of the second inning, Morgan Conrad retired the three Wolfpack hitters on a grounder to second base, a strikeout and a grounder to the pitcher.

Reese Lape singled to right field to lead off the bottom of the second inning for the Warriors. Addy Buchin struck out the next two Warrior hitters. Leilah Smith singled to right field and Reese Lupe advanced to second base. Reese Lupe and Leilah Smith both scored when Bree Salts blasted a double over the center fielder’s head. Addy Buchin retired the next Grass Lake batter on a line drive to second base to end the inning.

Grass Lake scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 4-2 lead.

Morgan Conrad retired the first two Wolfpack hitters in the top of the inning on a sharp grounder to third base by Savvy Stirm where Kennedy Collins made a great pickup and threw to first base and a fly to the shortstop. Bella Latuszek was safe at first base on an error. Bella Latuszek advanced to second base when Addy Buchin walked. Jaylynn Smith came in to the game as a courtesy runner for Addy Buchin.

Peyton Stahr singled to left field to drive Bella Latuszek home as Jaylynn Smith advanced to second base. Harper Strouse belted a double over the center fielder’s head to drive Jaylynn Smith and Peyton Stahr home. Makenna Johnston was hit by a pitch. Alaina Asher singled to center field. Makenna Johnston advanced to second base and Harper Strouse scored. Morgan Conrad retired the next Wolfpack batter on a line drive to the shortstop to end the inning.

Laingsburg scored four runs in the top of the third inning to take a 6-4 lead.

Nadene Hubbard singled to center field to lead off the bottom of the third inning for Grass Lake. Nadene Hubbard advanced to second base on a grounder to the pitcher by Morgan Conrad. Kennedy Collins dropped a flare behind first base for a single; Nadene Hubbard went to third base.

Laingsburg Pitcher Addy Buchin got the next Grass Lake batter to hit a bouncer to her in the pitching circle. Addy Buchin played fine defense as she looked at the runner from third base and forced her to go back and fired the ball to first base to get the batter. Her fine defense prevented the Warriors from scoring on the play. Addy Buchin retired the next Warrior hitter on a grounder to the shortstop to end the shutout inning.

Morgan Conrad retired the first two Laingsburg batters in the top of the fourth inning on a grounder to third base and a line drive to the pitcher. Bella Latuszek singled to center field. Addy Buchin singled to right field. When an error was made on the play, Bella Latuszek came all the way around from first base to score and Addy Buchin ended up on third base. Jaylynn Smith entered the game as a courtesy runner for Addy Buchin. Morgan Conrad got the next Wolfpack hitter out on a grounder to third base to end the inning.

Laingsburg scored one run in the top of the fourth inning to extend its lead to 7-4.

Emily Brown lined a single to center field to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning for Grass Lake. Addy Buchin struck out the next Warrior batter. Bree Salts doubled off the center field fence to drive Emily Brown home. Bree Salts advanced to third base on a grounder to first base by Makenzie Hilberer. Nadene Hubbard walked.

Morgan Conrad doubled to right field to drive Bree Salts and Nadene Leonard home to tie the game. Ava Hamp came in as a courtesy runner for Morgan Conrad. Kennedy Collins tripled to right field to drive Ava Hamp home. Reese Lape singled to right field to drive Kennedy Collins home. Addy Buchin struck out the next Warrior batter to end the inning.

Grass Lake scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 9-7 lead.

Harper Strouse doubled down the left field line to lead off the top of the fifth inning for Laingsburg. Morgan Conrad struck out the next Wolfpack batter. Harper Strouse moved up to third base on a groundout to first base by Alaina Asher. Morgan Conrad retired the next Laingsburg hitter on a grounder to shortstop to end the inning.

Addy Buchin retired Grass Lake’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the fifth inning on a fly to left field. Leilah Smith walked and went to third base when Bree Salts singled to center field. Leilah Smith scored and Bree Salts advanced to second base when Makenzie Hiberer was safe at first base on an error. Addy Buchin retired the next two Warrior batters on a strikeout and a popup to second base to end the inning.

Grass Lake scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend its lead to 10-7.

Despite a great diving effort by Kennedy Collins, Savvy Smith singled down the left field line to lead off the top of the sixth inning for Laingsburg. Savvy Smith went to second base on a groundout to third base by Alayna Merrell. Bella Latuszek singled to center field and Savvy Smith advanced to third base. Bella Latuszek went to second base on the throw to third base.

Addy Buchin doubled to deep center field to drive Savvy Smith and Bella Latuszek home. Jaylynn Smith came in as a courtesy runner for Addy Buchin. Morgan Conrad retired the next two Wolfpack batters on flies to center field to end the inning.

Laingsburg scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to cut the Grass Lake lead to 10-9.

Addy Buchin retired the three Grass Lake hitters in the bottom of the sixth inning on a fly to right field, another fly to right field where Makenna Johnston made an excellent running, diving catch and a strikeout.

Morgan Conrad retired the first two Laingsburg batters in the top of the seventh inning on a roller to the pitcher and a fly to center field. JuJu Latuszek walked and went to third base when Savvy Stirm singled to left field. Morgan Conrad retired the next Wolfpack batter on a foul fly to the shortstop to end the game.

Grass Lake won this quarterfinal game by the score of 10-9 and will play Algonac in the State Semifinal game at Michigan State University on Friday.

Bella Latuszek had a double, two singles and one RBI for Laingsburg. Addy Buchin had a double, a single and three RBI. Harper Strouse had two doubles and two RBI. Savvy Stirm had two singles. Peyton Stahr and Alaina Asher each had one single and one RBI.

Addy Buchin pitched the complete game and struck out seven Grass Lake batters.

Bree Salts had two doubles, one single and three RBI for Grass Lake. Kennedy Collins had a triple, a single and one RBI. Morgan Conrad had one double and three RBI. Reese Lape had two singles and one RBI. Leilah Smith had two singles. Nadene Hubbard had one single and one RBI. Emily Brown had one single. Makenzie Hilderer had one RBI.

Morgan Conrad pitched the complete game for Grass Lake and struck out four Laingsburg batters.