Brown City vs. Mendon – – MHSAA Division 4 Softball Final – – The Bleacher Denizen – – June 13, 2026 – – by Chuck Krafft
Today, the Bleacher Denizen is at Secchia Stadium at Michigan State University to cover the Division 4 Softball Final Game between Brown City and Mendon. Brown City enters this game with a 26-11 record and is ranked Number 9. Mendon is 31-3 and is ranked Number 1.
Brown City defeated Fowler in the semifinal game to advance to the final. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2026/06/12/fowler-vs-brown-city-mhsaa-division-4-softball-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-june-12-2026-by-chuck-krafft/
Mendon defeated Number 2 Hillman in a fantastic pitchers’ duel to advance to the final. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2026/06/12/hillman-vs-mendon-mhsaa-division-4-softball-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-june-12-2026-by-chuck-krafft/
As we wait for this game to begin, I hope you will enjoy this original tune, “A Man Like Me” from my You Tube Channel. It is about an office worker who is having Walter Mitty fantasies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTdeYRUEOkc
Here are some of the top players for both teams. I have obtained these statistics from the MHSAA Finals Preview. Please note that these statistics to not include Friday’s semifinal games.
Here are some of the players from Brown City. Sydney Mabee is hitting .441 with 51 runs scored and 28 stolen bases. Maddie Hohne is hitting .467 with 36 runs scored and 30 RBI. She is also a fine pitcher who struck out thirteen batters in the semifinal game against Fowler. She has a 17-7 record with a 3.38 ERA and 199 strikeouts. Sami Hayes is hitting .409 with 30 runs scored and has a 7-3 pitching record. Chloe Hayes is batting .393 and has scored 41 runs.
Linzee Mathews is hitting .393 with 31 runs. Alaina Roberts is batting .376 and has 36 runs scored and 38 RBI. Callie Morse is batting .349.
Rowan Allen is batting .638 with 63 runs scored and 42 stolen bases. She is also an excellent pitcher with an 18-1 record, a 2.47 ERA and 161 strikeouts. Jadyn Samson is hitting .640 with 77 runs, 18 doubles, 30 RBI and 33 stolen bases. She has also contributed an 8-2 record as a pitcher. Cienna Nightingale is hitting .622 with 68 RBI and 22 stolen bases. Taya Bingaman is batting .641 with 58 runs scored, 18 doubles, 60 RBI and 29 stolen bases. Sabrina Monroy is batting .383 with 30 runs scored and 30 RBI.
Here are the starting lineups. Mendon won the coin flip and will bat last. Brown City will bat first.
BROWN CITY
Sydney Mabee ss
Sami Hayes lf
Maddie Hohne p
Chloe Hayes cf
Alaina Roberts 1b
Callie Morse c
Linzee Mathews 2b
Teryn Jacobs rf
Bailie Brown 3b
MENDON
Jadyn Samson ss
Rowan Allen p
Taya Bingaman cf
Cienna Nightingale c
Sabrina Monroy 3b
LaShell Blair rf
Maddie Rodgers dp
Brynley Jungers 1b
Brooke Gerth 2b
Abbey Meyers will play left field, but will not bat.
It is now time to review the events of this game through the occasionally alert lenses 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 pitcher until the athletic powers that be ruled he was no longer allowed to use a shoulder cannon to add speed to his fastball. When the speed dropped, alas, so did the Bleacher Denizen’s playing time.
Sydney Mabee struck out to lead off the top of the first inning, but hustled and was safe at first base when the third strike was missed and she beat the throw. Rowan Allen struck out the next Green Devil hitter. Mendon Catcher Cienna Nightingale fired the ball to first base to pick the runner off. Rowan Allen retired the next Green Devil batter on a popup to second base to end the inning.
Jadyn Samson walked to lead off the bottom of the first ining for Mendon and stole second base. Rowan Allen walked. Taya Bingaman beat out a single on a ball that fell between the pitcher, first base and second base. Jadyn Samson hustled to third base and Rowan Allen went to second base. Brown City Pitcher Maddie Hohne struck out the next Mendon hitter.
Sabrina Monroy hit a squib to first base. Green Devil First Baseman Alaina Roberts dove for the ball; it appeared she might have caught the ball, but I guess she trapped it. Jadyn Samson scored, Rowan Allen went to third base and Sabrina Monroy was safe at first with a single. LaShell Blair drove Rowan Allen home with a sacrifice fly to center field. Maddie Hohne struck out the next Hornet hitter to end the inning.
Mendon scored two runs in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead.
Rowan Allen struck out the Brown City leadoff batter in the top of the second inning. Alaina Roberts walked and went to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Callie Morse. Rowan Allen struck out the next hitter to end the inning.
Maddie Hohne struck out the first two Mendon hitters in the bottom of the second inning. Jadyn Samson singled to left field and took second base on a wild pitch. Rowan Allen blasted a double to deep center field to drive Jadyn Samson home. Taya Bingaman singled to right center field to drive Rowan Allen home and stole second base. Brown City Left Fielder Sami Hayes made a great running catch of a drive by Cienna Nightingale to end the inning.
Mendon plated two runs in the bottom of the second inning to boost its lead to 4-0.
Rowan Allen retired the three Brown City hitters in the top of the third inning on a popup to second base, a strikeout and a grounder to third base.
Maddie Hohne retired the first two Mendon hitters in the bottom of the third inning on flies to Center Fielder Chloe Hayes. Maddie Rodgers singled up the middle. Maddie Hohne struck out the next Hornet hitter to end the inning.
Rowan Allen struck out the Green Devil leadoff hitter in the top of the fourth inning. Maddie Hohne pounded a double that went out to the right field fence. Jordan Makedonsky entered the game as a courtesy runner for Maddie Hohne. Rowan Allen retired the next two batters on a line drive to center field and a strikeout to end the inning.
Maddie Hohne struck out Mendon’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jadyn Samson doubled to left field. Rowan Allen singled to right field to drive Jadyn Samson home. Rowan Allen stole second base and went to third base on a groundout to third base by Taya Bingaman. Cienna Nightingale beat out an infield single to drive Rowan Allen home. Kennedi Sand entered the game as a courtesy runner for Cienna Nightingale. Maddie Hohne retired the next batter on a bouncer to the pitcher to end the inning.
Mendon scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to boost its lead to 6-0.
Callie Morse led off the top of the fifth inning for Brown City with a walk. Rowan Allen struck out the next two batters and got the third out on a grounder to second base.
Maddie Hohne retired the three Mendon batters in the bottom of the fifth inning on a groundout to third base followed by two strikeouts.
Rowan Allen struck out all three Green Devil hitters in the top of the sixth inning.
Maddie Hohne struck out the first two Hornet hitters in the bottom of the sixth inning. Rowan Allen walked. Kinsley Zinsmaster entered the game as a courtesy runner for Rowan Allen. Maddie Hohne retired the next batter on a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop.
Mendon has a 6-0 lead going into the top of the seventh inning.
Chloe Hayes was safe on an error to lead off the top of the seventh inning for Brown City. Alaina Roberts pounded a double to the center field fence to drive Chloe Hayes home. Alaina Roberts advanced to third base on a groundout to the pitcher by Callie Morse. Teryn Jacobs singled up the middle to drive Alaina Roberts home. Rowan Allen struck out the next batter to end the inning and the game.
Mendon won this game by the final score of 6-2 and is the Division 4 Softball Champion!
Alaina Roberts had a double and one RBI for Brown City. Maddie Hohne had one double. Teryn Jacobs had a single and one RBI.
Maddie Hohne pitched the complete game for the Green Devils and struck out ten Mendon batters.
Rowan Allen had a double, a single and two RBI for Mendon. Jadyn Samson had a double and a single. Taya Bingaman had two singles and one RBI. Cienna Nightingale and Sabrina Monroy each had a single and one RBI. Maddie Rogers had a single. LaShell Blair had one RBI.
Rowan Allen pitched the complete game for the Hornets. She gave up two runs and three hits while striking out fourteen Green Devil batters.