Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame 2024 Softball All-Star Game – – East vs. South – – The Bleacher Denizen – – June 19, 2024 – – by Chuck Krafft
Tonight, we are playing the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame All-Star games. Seniors from around the area have signed up to play what is possibly the final game of their careers. Earlier this evening we played the North vs. West game. Here is the play by play report of that game.
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It’s an extremely hot day for softball, but that does not seem to affect the players’ spirits!!
Here are the rosters for the East Team and the South Team.
SOUTH
Ashley Bila – Laingsburg
Ella Merrell – Laingsburg
Izzy Hoag – Eaton Rapids
Rosemary Buhl – East Lansing
Tori Briggs – Fowlerville
Kaelyn Rozycki – Holt
Angelle Haan – Fowlerville
Hailey Kruizenga – Mason
Macey Cole – Holt
Myah Fletcher – Leslie
Gabby Waldofsky – Leslie
Marissa Trigo – Mason
Ada Bradford – Leslie
Jalen Fossitt – Leslie
EAST
Ava Lavery – Howell
Madison Helms – St. Johns
Abby Stiffler – Williamston
Ava Jolin – Williamston
Emma Arnold – Pinckney
Zora Brewer – Morrice
Jada Challiss – Howell
Ava Nielson – Williamston
Ava Bunting – Howell
Cecelia Thorington – Pinckney
Mallory Dickey – Pinckney
Adriannah Ingleright – St. Johns
Ayva Sholty – Morrice
Aubrey Rogers – Morrice
As this is an All-Star game and many players will be going in and out, I will be focusing on just the hitters and the pitchers although if there is a special defensive play, I’ll try to get who made it into the article!
Your Bleacher Denizen sang the National Anthem and it was time for the game to start!
Let’s take a look at the events of this game through the occasionally watchful eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who never really got far in his softball career. When he was pitching, he loved the cheers he got when the umpire ruled his pitches to be “balls.” It took too long for him to realize that the cheers were from the opposing team and their fans. Alas, his pitching career was over before he figured out this basic fact of softball life.
Ada Bradford started in the pitcher’s circle for the South team.
Cecelia Thorington singled to right-center field to lead off the top of the first inning for the East team; she stole second base. Zora Brewer singled up the middle to drive Cecelia Thorington home. Ada Bradford retired the next two East hitters on a fly to second base and a strikeout. Ava Lavery singled to advance Zora Brewer to third base. Ava Nielson loaded the bases when she was hit by a pitch. Ada Bradford struck out the next East hitter to end the inning.
The East team scored one run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.
Ava Lavery was the starting pitcher for the East team. She retired the East leadoff batter on a fly to the shortstop. Tori Briggs beat out an infield single. Ava Lavery got the next South batter out on a popup to the shortstop. The South team made its third out on a fly to center field.
Ada Bradford struck out all three East batters in the top of the second inning.
Ava Lavery retired the first two South batters in the bottom of the second inning on a grounder to second base and a fly to center field. Gabby Waldofsky beat out a bunt single and stole second base. Jalen Fossitt walked. Ava Lavery retired the next South batter on a grounder to second base to end the inning.
Ada Bradford struck out all three East batters in the top of the third inning.
Myah Fletcher pounded a double off the center field fence to lead off the bottom of the third inning for the South team. Izzy Hoag belted a home run over the center field fence; she and Myah Fletcher both scored.
Ashley Bila beat out a bunt single. Tori Briggs hit a long double to center field to drive Ashley Bila home. Ava Lavery retired the next two South hitters on a fly to center field and a bouncer to second base to end the inning.
The South Team scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 3-1 lead.
Cecelia Thorington belted a home run over the center field fence to lead off the top of the fourth inning for the West team. Ada Bradford retired the next two batters on a strikeout and a foul popup to the catcher. Jada Challiss singled to right field. The East made its final out on a fly to the shortstop.
The East team scored one run in the top of the fourth inning to shave the South lead to 3-2.
Emma Arnold took over the pitching duties for the East team.
Angelle Haan walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning. She went to second base and then to third base on passed balls. Emma Arnold retired the next South hitter on a popup to the shortstop. Angelle Haan scored on an RBI groundout to the shortstop by Gabby Waldofsky.
Jalen Fossitt beat out an infield single. Ada Bradford lined a single to center field and Jalen Fossitt went to second base. Cecelia Thornton made a nice running catch in center field to get the third South out.
South scored one run in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead.
Tori Briggs came in to pitch the top of the fifth inning for the South team.
Ava Nielson led off the top of the fifth inning for the East team. She was safe at first base when the third strike was dropped and she bet the throw to first base. Ava Nielson advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Tori Briggs struck out the next East hitter. Ava Nielson took third base on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI sacrifice bunt by Ava Bunting. Tori Briggs struck out the next East batter to end the inning.
East scored one run in the top of the fifth inning to come within one run at 4-3.
East Third Baseman Ava Jolin made an excellent running catch to get the first South out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Emma Arnold retired the next South hitter on a grounder to third base. Ashley Bila grounded a single up the middle. Ashley Bila stole second base and went to third on an error. Ashley Bila stole home. Emma Arnold retired the next hitter on a fly to the shortstop.
South scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning to push its lead to 5-3.
Tori Briggs struck out the East leadoff batter in the top of the sixth inning. Adriannah Ingleright was safe at first base on an error. Adriannah Ingleright went to second base on a wild pitch. Adriannah Ingleright advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Tori Briggs struck out the next East batter to end the inning.
Emma Arnold retired the South leadoff batter in the bottom of the sixth inning on a foul fly to first base. Kaelyn Rozycki was safe at first base on an error. Angelle Haan singled to left field and Kaelyn Rozycki advanced to second base. Marissa Trigo beat out an infield single as Kaelyn Rozycki advanced to third base and Angelle Haan to second.
Gabby Waldofsky singled up the middle to drive Kaelyn Rozycki home. East Center Fielder Cecelia Thorington got the ball back to the infield quickly and the East was able to retire the runner trying to score from second base. Marissa Trigo went to third base and Gabby Waldofsky to second base on the throw home. Marissa Trigo scored and Gabby Waldofsky took third base on a wild pitch. Jalen Fossitt singled up the middle to drive in Gabby Waldofsky. South made its third out on a popup to first base.
South scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend its lead to 8-3.
Cecelia Thorington singled to lead off the top of the seventh inning for the East team. Tori Briggs retired the next East hitter on a foul popup to second base. Cecelia Thorington stole second base. Cecelia Thorington advanced to third base on a single to left field by Jada Challiss. Tori Briggs got the final East out on a foul popup to first base.
South won the game by the score of 8-3.
Cecelia Thorington had a home run, two singles and one RBI for the East. Jada Challiss had two singles. Zora Brewer had a single and one RBI. Ava Lavery had one single. Ava Bunting had one RBI.
Ava Lavery and Emma Arnold each pitched three innings for the East team.
Izzy Hoag had a home run and two RBI for the South Team. Tori Briggs had a double, a single and one RBI. Gabby Waldofsky had two singles and two RBI. Jalen Fossitt had two singles and one RBI. Ashley Bila had two singles. Myah Fletcher had a double. Angelle Haan, Marissa Trigo and Ada Bradford each had one single.
Ada Bradford pitched four innings for the South Team. She gave up two runs and struck out eight batters. Tori Briggs pitched three innings. She gave up one run and struck out six batters.
Thus ends to 2023-2024 school year for the Bleacher Denizen. I look forward to covering many baseball, softball, football and basketball games next year!
Thanks to Bob Every and the Hall of Fame for allowing me to use their press box!!