DeWitt at Fowler – – First Game of Softball Doubleheader – – The Bleacher Denizen – – May 8, 2026 – – by Chuck Krafft

Today, the Bleacher Denizen is doing a back to back trip to Fowler, but this time he will watch as the Eagle softball team hosts the Panthers from DeWitt. It’s not quite as cold as it was yesterday, but it is still a bit chilly. At least, I don’t have to keep an eye out for marauding polar bears, I guess.

The first game today will be part of DeWitt’s Annual Larry Baird Classic. This classic is a round robin tournament that involves four teams (if I understand correctly.)

Here are the starting lineups for the opening game. DeWitt is the visiting team and will bat first.

DEWITT

Ruby Puck ss

Tess Rypstra lf

Ellery Harshman cf

Madeline Torrence 2b

Kiley Zatkin dp

Emily Agnew 3b

Mikayla Kent c

Caroline Chumbley 1b

Keydence Ballinger will pitch, but will not bat.

FOWLER

Bristol Miller 2b

Rachel Wirth cf

Saige Miller ss

Addie Spicer 3b

Kerigan Pung c

Selina Stump p

Neelah O’Rourke rf

Molly Schlak lf

Ayana Canfield 1b

It is now time to review the events of this game through the glazed eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to get his baseball or softball career off to much of a start. He was showing some promise as a hard-throwing pitcher, but everything fell apart when the powers that be ruled he could no longer use a catapult to throw his pitches. When the pitch velocity fell, so did his playing time.

Ruby Puck singled to right field to lead off the top of the first inning for DeWitt. Tess Rypstra lined a single off the first baseman’s glove and Ruby Puck advanced to second base. Fowler Pitcher Selena Stump retired the next DeWitt hitter on a popup to the pitcher. Madeline Torrence doubled and Ruby Puck scored as Tess Rypstra advanced to third base.

Selena Feldpausch struck out the next Panther batter. Kiley Zatkin grounded a single up the middle to drive Tess Rypstra home; Madeline Torrence went to third base. Selena Stump struck out the next batter to end the inning.

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

Bristol Miller tripled to deep right field to lead off the top of the first inning for Fowler. Rachel Wirth was safe on a bunt single; Bristol Miller had to hold at third base. Rachel Wirth took second base on a throw. Saige Miller hit a sacrifice fly to drive Bristol Miller home as Rachel Wirth advanced to third base. DeWitt Pitcher Kaydence Ballinger retired the next Eagle batter on a fly to the shortstop.

Kerigan Pung singled to right field to drive Rachel Wirth home. Fowler made its third out on a fly to right field.

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

Caroline Chumbley beat out an infield single to lead off the top of the second inning for DeWitt. . Selena Stump struck out the next DeWitt hitter. Fowler Catcher Kerigan Pung fired the ball to second base to catch the runner stealing. Ruby Puck singled to left field. Selena Stump retired the next DeWitt hitter on a grounder to the shortstop to end the inning.

Kaydence Ballinger retired the Fowler leadoff hitter on a fly to right field. Molly Schlak singled up the middle and went to second base on a productive groundout to third base by Ayana Canfield. Fowler made its third out on a grounder to third base.

Ellery Harshman singled to right field to lead off the top of the third inning for DeWitt. The next Panther hitter was out on a popup to first base. Emily Agnew singled to right field and Ellery Harshman advanced to second base. Ellery Harshman advanced to third base and Emily Agnew to second base on a wild pitch.

Kiley Zatkin singled down the left field line to drive Ellery Harshman and Emily Agnew home. Kiley Zatkin took second base on a groundout to second base by Mikayla Kent. Neelah O’Rourke made a great running catch of a drive off the bat of Caroline Chumbley to end the inning.

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

Kaydence Ballinger retired the Fowler leadoff batter in the bottom of the third inning on a grounder to second base. Sage Miller was safe at first base on an error and advanced to second base when Addie Spicer singled to left field. Kerigan Pung beat out a bunt single as Saige Miller advanced to third base and Addie Spicer to second.

Selena Stump singled to right field to drive Saige Miller and Addie Spicer home. Kerigan Pung advanced to third base. Selena Stump stole second base. DeWitt Catcher Mikayla Kent made an excellent diving catch of a foul popup to record the second Eagle out. Fowler made its third out on a grounder to the shortstop.

Fowler scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 4-4.

Neelah O’Rourke made a great running catch in right field of a drive by London Montgomery to record DeWitt’s first out of the top of the fourth inning. Selena Stump got the second out on a grounder to first base. Tess Rypstra tripled to right field, but was stranded at third base when the next hitter grounded out to second base.

Kaydence Ballinger retired Fowler’s leadoff batter in the top of the fourth inning on a grounder to the shortstop and got the second out on a fly to center field. Rachel Wirth tripled to right field and scored the go-ahead run when Saige Miller was safe at first base on an error. Saige Miller went to third base when Addie Spicer singled to left field; Addie Spicer took second base on the throw to third base.

Kerigan Pung beat out a bunt single to drive Saige Miller home as Addie Spicer advanced to third base. Kerigan Pung stole second base. Kaydence Ballinger got the next Eagle batter out on a grounder to first base to end the inning.

Fowler scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 6-4 lead.

Madeline Torrence singled to left field to lead off the top of the fifth inning for DeWitt. She advanced to second base on a groundout to second base by Emily Agnew. The next Panther batter was out on a fly to second base. Kiley Zatkin singled to left field to drive Madeline Torrence home and advanced to second base on a throw home. Selena Stump struck out the next Panther hitter to end the inning.

DeWitt scored one run in the top of the fifth inning to trim the Fowler lead to 6-5.

Neelah O’Rourke grounded a single up the middle to lead off the top of the fifth inning for Fowler and advanced to second base when Molly Schlak lined a single to left field. Kaydence Ballinger retired the next three Eagle hitters on a strikeout, a fly to right field and a grounder to second base to end the inning.

Ruby Puck singled to right field to lead off the top of the sixth inning for DeWitt. She wet to second base when Tess Rypstra singled up the middle. Ruby Puck advanced to third base and Tess Rypstra to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Ellery Harshman. Ruby Puck scored and Tess Rypstra took third base on a groundout to the shortstop by Madeline Torrence. Selena Stump struck out the next Panther hitter to end the inning.

DeWitt scored one run in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 6-6.

Saige Miller walked to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning for Fowler. She went to second base and scored on a double to center field by Addie Spicer. Addie Spicer advanced to third base on a groundout to the shortstop by Kerrigan Pung. Selena Stump was safe on an error as Addie Spicer held at third base. Neelah O’Rourke singled to right field to drive Addie Spicer home as Selena Stump advanced to third base. Neelah O’Rourke advanced to second base on a throw home.

Kaydence Bellinger retired the next two Fowler hitters on a foul popup to the pitcher and a grounder to the shortstop to end the inning.

Fowler scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take an 8-6 lead.

Selena Stump retired the DeWitt leadoff batter in the top of the seventh inning on a grounder to the shortstop. Mikayla Kent singled up the middle. Mikayla Kent took second base on a pickoff throwing error. Mikayla Kent was out at third base and Caroline Chumbley safe at first base on a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop. (Saige Miller made a skilled, but daring play to throw the ball to third base to get the runner instead of taking the out at first base.)

London Montgomery blasted a triple to deep center field to drive Caroline Chumbley home. London Montgomery went home on a throwing error; the game was tied.

Ruby Puck lined a single to left field and went to second base when Tess Rypstra singled to center field. Ellery Harshman made a bid for a single when she lined the ball off the first baseman’s mitt, but Second Baseman Bristol Miller alertly grabbed the ball and ran to first base to beat the runner there to record the third out.

DeWitt scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game at 8-8.

Bristol Miller singled to left center field to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning for Fowler and went to second base when Rachel Wirth beat out a bunt single. Bristol Miller advanced to third base and Rachel Wirth to second base when Saige Miller beat out a bunt single. Bristol Miller was out at home and Addie Spicer safe at first base on a fielder’s choice grounder to first base. Rachel Wirth advanced to third base and Saige Miller to second base.

Kerigan Pung beat out a bunt single to drive Rachel Wirth home with the winning run.

Fowler scored one run in the bottom of the seventh inning and won the game by the final score of 9-8. Thus, the Eagles also won their first game in the Larry Baird Classic!!

Tess Rypstra had a triple and three singles for DeWitt. Ruby Puck had four singles. Kiley Zatkin had three singles and four RBI. Madeline Torrence had a double, a single and two RBI. Caroline Chumbley had two singles. London Montgomery had a triple and one RBI. Ellery Harshman, Mikayla Kent and Emily Agnew each had one single.

Kaydence Ballinger pitched the complete game for DeWitt.

Kerrigan Pung had four singles and three RBI for Fowler. Rachel Wirth had a triple and two singles. Addie Spicer had a double, two singles and one RBI. Bristol Miller had a triple and a single. Neelah O’Rourke had two singles and one RBI. Molly Schlak had two singles. Selena Stump had a single and two RBI. Saige Miller had a single and one RBI.

Selena Stump pitched a complete game for Fowler and struck out five DeWitt hitters.

I also covered the second game. Here is the play by play of that game. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2026/05/09/dewitt-at-fowler-second-game-of-softball-doubleheader-the-bleacher-denizen-may-8-2026-by-chuck-krafft/