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Muskegon-area softball roundup: Grand Haven, Ravenna fall in regional heartbreakers

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MUSKEGON – Saturday marked the end of the road for four Muskegon-area softball teams, as Grand Haven and Ravenna both fell short in narrow contests and Hart and Grant struggled at the plate in their regional semifinal matchups.

Below is a look at how each team performed in their respective regional brackets.

DIVISION 1

Regional 2 at Jenison

SEMIFINALS

Rockford 3, Grand Haven 1 (9 inn.)

The Buccaneers and the Rams battled to a 1-1 tie through seven innings of action in the Division 1 regional semifinals before Rockford plated two runs in the top of the ninth inning to secure their spot in the regional championship game.

Skyler Covelli finished with two hits to lead the Grand Haven offense, while Savannah Collins added one hit and one RBI and Emily Walcott, Kendall Pahl and Veda Vargas each added one hit.

Regan Riemersma took the loss from the circle, allowing two earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out six over nine innings.

MORE: Images from Grand Haven-Rockford softball game

3 Hudsonville, 0 Byron Center

FINALS

4 Hudsonville, 1 Rockford

*Hudsonville advances to face Fenton in the state quarterfinals on June 14 at 1 pm from Northwood University

DIVISION 2

Regional 9 at Gaylor

SEMIFINALS

Escanaba 8, Grant 0

Gaylord 7, Big Rapid 0

FINALS

Escanaba 3, Gaylord 2

*Escanaba advances to face Hudsonville Unity Christian in the state quarterfinals on June 14 at 4 pm from Northwood University

DIVISION 3

Regional 19 at Ravenna

SEMIFINALS

Ravenna 5, Saranac 2

The Bulldogs took an early 4-1 lead over Saranac and fended off the Red Hawks the rest of the way to secure a spot in the regional championship game.

Emma Gillard recorded the win from the circle, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out 10 in seven innings. She also led the Bulldogs from the plate with two triples.

Maddie Kilbourne added two hits, Emma Herremans had a triple and Kara Postema and Ellie Solem each added one hit.

Grandville Calvin Christian 3, Ithaca 1

FINALS

Grandville Calvin Christian 1, Ravenna 0

The Bulldogs and Squires battled through four and a half scoreless innings until Calvin Christian registered the game’s only scoring play in the bottom of the fifth inning when Marissa VandenBerg recorded an RBI single to give her team a 1-0 lead.

Ravenna placed runners on the base paths in both the top of the sixth and seventh innings but stout defensive play from Calvin Christian kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard in a narrow loss in the regional championship game.

Emma Gillard took the loss from the circle, giving up one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four through four innings. Addison Gillard pitched the final three innings and allowed two hits and struck out one.

Maddie Kilbourne, Emma Herremans and Kara Postema each recorded one hit for the Bulldogs, who finish their season with a school record 30 wins and only nine losses.

*Calvin Christian advances to face Parchment in the state quarterfinals on June 14 at 1 pm from Cornerstone University

Regional 18 at Clare

SEMIFINALS

5 Beaverton, 4 Traverse City St Francis

Evart 8, Hard 1

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning but the Wildcats answered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Evart took the lead with two runs in the third and broke the game open with a five-run sixth inning to secure the regional semifinal win.

Abby Hicks registered the lone hit for the Pirates from the plate, while Finley Kistler pitched six innings and recorded one strikeout from the circle.

FINALS

Evart 2, Beaverton 1

*Evart advances to face the winner of Kalkaska/Gladstone in the state quarterfinals on June 14 at 5 pmfrom White Field in Petoskey.

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