Many of Brighton’s softball players weren’t alive the last time the Bulldogs beat Hartland twice in the same season.
With a 9-2, 10-0 sweep of the Eagles on Wednesday, May 13, Brighton swept Hartland for the first time since 2009.
Seventeen years ago, KLAA softball teams didn’t play doubleheaders. Brighton beat Hartland 4-3 on April 29, 2009 and 10-3 on May 18, 2009. The league went to doubleheaders for softball the following season.
Brighton lost 25 straight games against Hartland before winning the last three meetings. The Bulldogs’ 10 runs in the second game were the most they’ve scored against Hartland in 33 games.
Reece Vawter pitched all seven innings in the first game for Brighton, allowing six hits, one walk and two unearned runs while striking out seven.
Libby Carah and Anna Minnick each went 3-for-4, while Holland Urbain and Vawter drove in two runs apiece.
Freshman Bailey Hill pitched five innings for Brighton’s first shutout of Hartland since winning 1-0 on May 2, 2012. She struck out five and gave up four hits.
Carah was 3-for-4 with four RBIs and Kendall Peckens was 3-for-4 with three RBIs for Brighton, which is 3-1 against Livingston County rivals Howell and Hartland.
Howell 7-16, Plymouth 6-10
Zoey Overton hit a home run and drove in six runs in the second game for Howell after going 3-for-3 with a double in the first game.
Leighton Scott was 4-for-9 for the Highlanders (16-5) in the doubleheader.
Baseball
Brighton 7, Hartland 3
Luke Ribble went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, as Brighton gained a split of the rivals’ two-game series. Nathan Houck allowed one earned run in five innings for Brighton (17-8-1).
Preston Spisz was 3-for-4 and Carson Perkins drove in two runs for Hartland (15-9), which was denied an outright KLAA West championship. The Eagles shared the title with Novi at 10-4. Brighton finished third at 9-5.
Plymouth 10, Howell 8
Johnny Cove had a three-run double and Danny Hampton walked four times and stole three bases for Howell (18-8-1).
Girls lacrosse
Brighton 10, Detroit Country Day 9
Quinn Holdridge scored her third goal of the game in the final minute of the fourth quarter to give Brighton the victory in a clash of state powers.
Kelly McKaig scored three goals and Lauren Simms two for the Bulldogs.
Boys lacrosse
Hartland 11, East Grand Rapids 7
Hartland ended the regular season with a 13-game winning streak, as Nate Anderer made 20 saves and Kellan Hull won 17 of 22 faceoffs for the Eagles.
Connor Gilbert had four goals and one assist, Liam Quick had three goals, Drew Schaecher had one goal and three assists, and Coen Chwalek had two goals for Hartland.
Detroit Country Day 15, Brighton 4
Maddox Marlatt scored twice for Brighton.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton softball sweeps Hartland for first time in 17 years
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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