City squads Lakeview, Harper Creek and the St. Philip/Climax-Scotts co-op team all advanced to the district finals in softball, hoping to gain a ticket to the regionals.
Only one of those teams will be playing next week.
Lakeview won a district title for the second time in three years on Saturday, May 30, capturing a crown in Division 1. Harper Creek and St. Philip/Climax-Scotts fell short in their district final clashes.
MORE: Which area teams advanced in girls soccer districts?
Division 1 at Mason
Lakeview breezed through its district tournament. The Spartans mercied Jackson in a district semifinal Saturday morning, winning 15-0 in three innings.
Lakeview faced host Mason in the district championship, taking only five innings to take care of business this time with an 11-0 win.
Lakeview improved to 18-19-1 and will face Howell (17-11) in a regional semifinal on Saturday, June 6 at Hartland High School.
“Girls are excited. A lot of work went into this one,” said Lakeview softball coach Jason McCullough. “We challenged them during the season and it played out like we thought it would. We had a challenging schedule and that got us ready and it worked out in the end.
“This senior class is one of the first classes we had play together in middle school. Been playing since 7th grade together. This means a lot those seven seniors. They have worked hard and good things come to people who work hard.”
Angelia Palma went 2-for-4 with five RBIs for Lakeview in the championship game, including a three-run home run. Claire VanDis added two RBIs. Palma also pitched the shutout in a five-inning no-hitter, striking out nine.
Lakeview scored all 15 runs in the first inning of the semifinal game, despite having only three hits in the matchup. Delaney McCullough earned the win from the circle for the Spartans, striking out nine.
Division 2 at Marshall
Harper Creek lost to Vicksburg 7-5 in the championship game of this Division 2 district at Marshall. After falling behind 4-1 in the early innings, the Beavers led 5-4 in the fifth inning. However, Vicksburg put the game away with three runs in the last two frames. Blair Yurisich had two RBIs for Harper Creek with Taegan Anderson and Sophia Kline each getting two hits. Harper Creek finishes at 27-7 overall.
Vicksburg had advanced with an upset 2-0 win over No. 2-ranked Coldwater in the district semifinal.
Harper Creek had advanced with a 9-4 win over rival Marshall in the district semifinal. The Beavers scored six runs in the sixth inning to put the game away. Kline went 3-for-3 for Harper Creek with Kennedy Halverson coming up with three RBIs. Brooke Carden went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Marshall, which ended the season at 27-12.
Division 2 at Otsego
Gull Lake lost in the district semifinals, falling to host Otsego 10-5 in Division 2 action. Paw Paw defeated Otsego 6-2 in the district final and advanced to a Division 2 regional at Harper Creek.
Division 3 at Schoolcraft
Bronson won a district title, knocking off Union City 18-0 in a district championship game. The Vikings advanced with an 8-0 win over Centreville in the district semifinal.
Lydia Wells had three RBIs and two stolen bases for Bronson in the championship game. Ashlynn Harris was 3-for-4 for the Vikings in the semifinal and also earned the win from the circle, striking out nine.
Division 3 at Homer
Homer won a district title, beating Quincy in this Division 3 final, 9-8. Homer advances to face Grass Lake in a Division 3 regional at Hanover-Horton. The Trojans had advanced with a 9-1 win over Hillsdale in the district semifinal.
Division 4 at Climax-Scotts
No. 10-ranked Gobles edged Climax-Scotts/St. Philip 2-0 in a Division 4 district final at Climax-Scotts High School. Alyse Langs pitched a one-hitter for Climax-Scotts/St. Philip in the loss, striking out nine. She also added two hits.
Climax-Scotts/St. Philip advanced with a 11-0 win over Kalamazoo Hackett in the semifinals. Addy Reeves went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the win.
Division 4 at Athens
Colon came away with a district title with a 16-1 win over host Athens in Division 4 action. Colon will see Gobles in a regional semifinal at Mendon on June 6.
Division 4 at Maple Valley
Bellevue lost to Dansville in a district final, 15-0. The Broncos had advanced with a 17-7 victory over Potterville in the district semifinal.
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter @billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Area softball teams compete in district finals. Who advanced to regionals?
Reporting by Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer / Battle Creek Enquirer
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