Hall of Fame All-Star Softball Game – – North vs. South – – The Bleacher Denizen – – June 23, 2026 – – by Chuck Krafft
I thought that the North and South were done fighting when the Civil War ended in 1865, but right here in Lansing – – in Ranney Park, there is another battle happening between the North and the South. While your Bleacher Denizen was concerned because he has no camo gear or bulletproof clothing to wear in the press box, his anxiety was eased quite a bit when he learned that this is a softball game. There will be no bombs thrown today – – only softballs!
Here are the starting lineups along with the team they played for this season. All players on the roster will be in the batting order. As they will be going in and out as fielders, I won’t list the positions. The North Team won the coin flip and will be the home team. The South Team will bat first.
NORTH:
Austynn Arellano, Lansing Catholic
Ruby Puck, DeWitt
Ally Drews, St. Johns
Madeline Torrence, DeWitt
Abby Tisdale, St. Johns
Emily Agnew, DeWitt
Elyse Thelen, Pewamo-Westphalia
Madilynn Swanson, St. Johns
Katy Howard, Lansing Catholic
Caroline Chumbley, DeWitt
Summer Wirth, Pewamo-Westphalia
Brooklyn Gorski, Lansing Catholic
Kaydence Ballinger, DeWitt
Cam Parker, St. Johns
North’s Coach is Adam Nolen from DeWitt.
SOUTH
Saige Miller, Fowler
Payton Vandlen, Holt
McKenna Maybee, Fowlerville
Selena Stump, Fowler
Rachel Wirth, Fowler
Mallory Smith, Eaton Rapids
Molly Schlack, Fowler
Maegan Schuette, Eaton Rapids
Addy Spicer, Fowler
Eeva Luoma, Holt
Taylor Orta, Eaton Rapids
Neelah O’Rourke, Fowler
Maddy Putnam, Eaton Rapids
Marlie Rehm, Holt
Kiley Davis, Fowlerville
Brian Miller and Taylor Schmitt from Fowler will coach.
It is now time to review the events of this game through the occasionally alert eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to get off to much of a career in baseball or softball. While he showed a bit of promise as a base stealer, everything went in the wrong direction when the powers that be ruled he could no longer use a jet pack to help him speed around the bases. When the stolen bases stopped happening, the playing time stopped coming.
Kaydence Ballinger will start at pitcher for North.
Kaydence Ballinger retired the South leadoff batter in the top of the first inning on a popup to first base. Paeton Vandlen walked. McKenna Maybee singled to left field and Paeton Vandlen went to second base. Paeton Vandlen took third base and McKenna Maybee second base on a single to right-center field by Selena Stump. Kaydence Ballinger retired the next batter on a fly to center field. Center Fielder Austynn Arellano fired the ball to home plate to get the runner trying to score from third base for the final out.
Mae Schutte will be the starting pitcher for South.
Mae Schutte retired the first two South hitters on grounders to second base. Ally Drews walked. Mae Schutte struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Mallory Smith was safe on an error to lead off the top of the second inning for South. Despite a great diving effort by North Shortstop Abigail Tisdale, Molly Schlak beat out an infield single as Mallory Smith advanced to second base. Mae Schutte beat out an infield single to load the bases as Mallory Smith advanced to third base and Molly Schlak to second. Addy Spicer singled to left field to drive Mallory Smith home. Molly Schlak went to third base and Mae Schutte to second.
Eeva Louma walked to force Molly Schlak home as Mae Schutte advanced to third base and Addy Spicer to second. Taylor Orta singled to center field to drive Mae Schutte home as Addy Spicer went to third base and Eeva Luoma to second. Kaydence Ballinter struck out the next South hitter. Maddy Putnam singled to center field to drive Addy Spicer and Eeva Louma home. Taylor Orta advanced to third base.
Taylor Orta scored when Maddie Rehm was safe at first on an error. Maddy Putnam advanced to second base. Kiley Davis rapped a hard single off the pitcher’s foot to thrive Maddy Putnam home as Marlie Rehm advanced to third base. Saige Miller beat out a bunt single and Kiely Davis advanced to second base. Marlie Rehm held at third base. Kaydence Ballinger retired the next South hitter on a popup to the shortstop. Center Fielder Austynn Arellano made a great running catch in center field to get the third out.
South scored seven runs in the top of the second inning to take a 7-0 lead.
Abigail Tisdale doubled out to the center field fence to lead off the bottom of the second inning for the North team. Maddy Putnam made a great running catch of a foul ball to right field to record the first out. North made its final outs on two flies to center field.
Kaydence Ballinger retired the three South hitters in the top of the third inning on a liner to the shortstop, a grounder to second base and a grounder to third base.
Selena Stump went in to pitch for South in the bottom of the third inning.
Selena Stump retired the North leadoff batter in the bottom of the third inning on a grounder to third base. Caroline Chumbley singled to center field and went to second base on a single to left field by Summer Wirth. Caroline Chumbley advanced to third base and Summer Wirth to second base on a groundout to second base by Madilynn Swanson. Selena Stump retired the next North batter on a fly to third base to end the inning.
Abigail Tisdale came in to pitch the top of the fourth inning for North.
Abigail Tisdale retired South’s leadoff batter in the top of the fourth inning on a grounder to shortstop. Mae Schutte was safe at first base on an error and took second base on a single up the middle by Addy Spicer. Mae Schutte advanced to third base on a fly to right field by Eeava Luoma. Addy Spicer advanced to second base on a passed ball. Abigail Tisdale retired the next South hitter on a fly to right field to end the inning.
Selena Stump retired the North leadoff hitter in the bottom of the fourth inning on a roller to the pitcher. Austynn Arellano was safe at first on an error and took second base on a wild pitch. Selena Stump retired the next two North batters on a fly to right field and a strikeout.
Neelah O’Rourke was safe at first base on an error to lead off the top of the fifth inning for the South Team; she advanced to second base on an infield single by Maddy Putnam. Marlie Rehm walked. Neelah O’Rourke advanced to third base and Maddy Putnam to second. Kiely Davis walked to force Neelah O’Rourke home. Maddy Putnam went to third base and Marlie Rehm to second base. Saige Miller blasted a double that hit the center field fence post on the fly. Maddy Putnam and Marlie Rehm scored as Kiely Davis advanced to third base.
Abigail Tisdale struck out the next South hitter. McKenna Maybee singled to left field to drive Kiely Davis and Saige Miller home. When McKenna Maybee tried to advance to third base on an overthrow, North Catcher Katy Howard fired the ball to third base to get her out. Selena Stump beat out an infield single. Abigail Tisdale struck out the next North inning to end the inning.
South scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning to boost its lead to 12-0.
Neelah O’Rourke went in to pitch the top of the fifth inning for Fowler.
Neelah O’Rourke retired the North leadoff batter in the bottom of the fifth inning on a grounder to shortstop. Abigail Tisdale walked. Abigail Tisdale was out at second base and Emily Agnew safe at first base on a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop. Elyse Thelen walked and Emily Agnew advanced to second base. Madilynn Swanson singled to center field. South Center Fielder Maddy Putnam rifled the ball home to retire the runner from second base trying to score to end the inning.
Caroline Chumbley went in to pitch the top of the sixth inning for the North Team.
Caroline Chumbley struck out the first two South batters in the top of the sixth inning. North Shortstop Madeline Torrence made a great running catch of a fly in the infield to record the third out.
Neelah O’Rourke retired the three North hitters in the bottom of the sixth inning on a strikeout, a groundout to shortstop and a liner that South Shortstop Saige Miller caught with a quick reaction.
North Second Baseman Brooklyn Gorski made a fine running catch to retire the South leadoff batter in the top of the seventh inning. Eeva Luoma singled to left field and stole second base. North Pitcher Caroline Chumbley struck out the next South batter. Eeva Luoma was able to score from second base as North threw the runner out at first when the third strike was dropped. Neelah O’Rourke was safe at second base on an error. South made its third out on a grounder to first base.
South scored one run in the top of the seventh inning to boost its lead to 13-0.
Selena Stump came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh inning for the South team.
South Second Baseman Kiely Davis made a great diving catch to record the first North out of the bottom of the seventh inning. Selena Stump retired the next North hitter on a grounder to the shortstop. Cam Parker doubled to left field. North made its third out on a grounder to the shortstop when interference was called.
North won this All-Star game by the final score of 14-0.
Cam Parker and Abigail Tisdale each had a double for the North Team. Summer Wirth, Caroline Chumbley and Madilynn Swanson each had a single.
Caroline Chumbley pitched three innings for the North team and gave up only one run. Kaydence Ballinger and Abigail Tisdale each pitched two innings.
Saige Miller had a double, a single and two RBI for the South team. McKenna Maybee had two singles and two RBI. Selena Stump had two singles. Maddy Putnam had two singles and one RBI. Molly Schlak and Mae Schutte each had one single. Addison Spicer had two singles and one RBI. Eeva Luoma, Taylor Orta and Kiely Davis each had one single and one RBI.
Selena Stump pitched three shutout innings for the South team. Mae Schutte and Neelah O’Rourke each pitched two innings.