Leslie vs. Grand Ledge – – Hall of Fame Softball Classic Final – – The Bleacher Denizen – – May 24, 2024 – – by Chuck Krafft
Today, after a week of quarterfinals and semifinals, we are ready to watch the final game of the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame Softball Classic. The Blackhawks from Leslie will compete with the Comets from Grand Ledge for the Hall of Fame Softball Classic 2024 Title!!
Leslie beat Holt in its two-day quarterfinal game. (The game was delayed by rain and had to be finished the next day.) Here is the story of that game.
https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2024/05/21/holt-vs-leslie-greater-lansing-area-sports-hall-of-fame-softball-classic-quarterfinal-the-bleacher-denizen-april-20-2024-by-chuck-krafft/
In the semifinals, Leslie beat a talented Laingsburg team!
Grand Ledge beat Williamston in its quarterfinal game.
In the semifinals, Grand Ledge competed with a strong Fowlerville squad. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2024/05/23/fowlerville-vs-grand-ledge-hall-of-fame-softball-classic-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-may-22-2024-by-chuck-krafft/
After both teams were introduced and the Bleacher Denizen sang the National Anthem, it was time to start the game.
Here are the starting lineups. Leslie will be the home team and Grand Ledge will bat first.
It is now time to look at this game through the eyes of a Bleacher Denizen whose baseball and softball careers were negatively impacted by a lack of talent. I was starting to make some progress as a pitcher, but then the powers that be for both baseball and softball banned the shoulder cannon I was using to fire my pitches. (Alas, after that, one forty run inning caused my pitching downfall.)
Leslie Pitcher Ada Bradford struck out the Grand Ledge leadoff batter in the top of the first inning. Gianna Naccarato blasted a home run to left field. Jade Queen singled off the second baseman’s glove. Tomia Geter belted a two run home run; Jade Queen also scored on the play. Ada Bradford retired the next two Comet hitters on a fly to the shortstop and a strikeout to end the inning.
Grand Ledge scored three runs in the top of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead.
Gabby Waldofsky walked to lead off the bottom of the first inning for Leslie. She advanced to second base on a groundout to third base by Jalen Fossitt. Gabby Waldofsky took third base on a groundout to shortstop by Ada Bradford. Comet Pitcher Tomia Geter retired the next hitter on a fly to left field.
Bella Perez was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the second inning for the Comets. Ada Bradford retired the next three Grand Ledge hitters on a fly to second base, a groundout to third base and a strikeout.
Adrianna Fogg was safe on an error to lead off the bottom of the second inning for Leslie. Tomia Geter retired the next three hitters on a popup to shortstop and two strikeouts.
Ada Bradford struck out the Comet leadoff batter in the top of the third inning and got the next hitter out on a popup to third base. Tomia Geter singled up the middle and advanced to second base when Kaysen Strohaver singled to right field. Grand Ledge made its third out of the inning on a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop.
Tomia Geter struck out the Blackhawks’ leadoff batter in the bottom of the third inning and retired the next hitter on a fly to center field. Jalen Fossitt singled to left field and took second base on a wild pitch. Leslie made its third out of the inning on a foul popup to first base.
After three full innings, Grand Ledge held a 3-0 lead.
Ada Bradford struck out the Grand Ledge leadoff batter in the top of the fourth inning and retired the next hitter on a groundout to the shortstop. Indya Fitzpatrick walked. Leslie Catcher Myah Fletcher fired the ball to second base and caught the runner stealing to end the inning.
Myah Fletcher was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the fourth inning for the Blackhawks. Tomia Geter retired the next three batters on a popup to second base, a foul popup to third base and a grounder to second base to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth inning Ada Bradford retired the three Comet batters on two strikeouts and a fly to left field.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Tomia Geter retired the three Blackhawk batters on two strikeouts and a foul popped up bunt to the catcher.
Ada Bradford retired the first two Grand Ledge batters in the top of the sixth inning on a fly to the shortstop and a fly to second base. Zoe Hart singled to center field and took second base when Bella Perez beat out a squibbed single to the catcher. Adyson Fulton was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Indya Fitzpatrick was hit by a pitch to force Zoe Hart home with a run.
Kailey Nelson pounded a bases clearing double to the center field fence to drive in Bella Perez, Adyson Fulton and Indya Fitzpatrick. Kailey Nelson advanced to third base when everyone was safe on Gianna Naccarato’s fielder’s choice grounder. Blackhawk Center Fielder Gabby Waldofsky went back deep to catch a drive by Jade Queen for the third out.
Grand Ledge scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning to extend its lead to 7-0.
Tomia Geter retired Leslie’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the sixth inning on a foul popup to first base. Kaysen Strohaver made a great play from third base when she dove and fired the ball to first base in time to nip the runner for the second out. Myah Fletcher belted a home run over the left field fence. Tomia Geter got Leslie’s third out on a soft fly to the pitcher.
Leslie scored one run in the bottom of the sixth inning to trim the Grand Ledge lead to 7-1.
Ada Bradford retired the Comet leadoff batter in the top of the seventh inning on a popup to the shortstop. Kaysen Strohaver singled to left field. Ada Bradford struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
Tomia Geter struck out the Blackhawk leadoff batter in the bottom of the seventh inning. Eliana Trierweiler walked. Tomia Geter struck out the next two hitters to end the game.
Grand Ledge won this game by a 7-1 score and is the 2024 Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame Softball Classic Champion!!
Myah Fletcher had a home run and one RBI for Leslie. Jalen Fossitt had one single.
Ada Bradford pitched a complete game and struck out nine batters.
Tomia Geter was named player of the game for Grand Ledge. She pitched a complete game and gave up only one run and two hits while striking out eight batters. She also had a home run and two RBI.
Gianna Naccarato had a home run and one RBI. Kailey Nelson had a double and three RBI. Kaysen Strohaver had two singles. Jade Queen, Zoe Hart and Bella Perez each had one single.