PELLSTON — One team. One unit.
Heading into its district tournament on Friday, May 29, that’s all the focus was for Pellston softball.
All focus – innings one through seven – Pellston coach Dena Moore echoed.
By the end of a long, hot and wild day at Pellston’s Pioneer Park, Moore’s Hornets remained focused even when things went against them at times, rallied, and found a way to capture a first MHSAA Division 4 district title since 2023 after earning a 14-7 victory over Harbor Light in the final.
“If one person gets down, we know it brings everybody else down, so we’ve got to battle all the way through no matter what,” Moore said. “When things go well, everyone gets excited, and that’s just the nature of the beast. When things go bad, that just seems to trickle.”
What the Hornets showed all day on Friday was that no matter how many times they fell behind, they didn’t stay down. Trailing 5-0 against rival Mackinaw City in the semifinal, Pellston erased the deficit with a 10-run inning, then eventually held on for a thrilling 13-10 win, sending the Hornets into the final against a dangerous Harbor Light opponent. Despite falling behind 2-0, nothing could faze these Hornets, who responded with multiple big innings, led by many of their seniors, including Alpena Community College signee Ella Klungle, as well as pitcher Lanie Irwin, who earned both victories, and Breanna Willis, Allie Cameron and Sophia Nicholls, who were instrumental throughout the day.
“We came in wanting it really bad,” Pellston senior Ella Klungle said. “We got down a few times, but we got back up. A lot of it came down to me, Lanie (Irwin), and her pitching. We were talking constantly. It was a battle, 110 percent, but we got the job done.”
Many of those senior Hornets were also a part of the 2023 district title squad coached by Randy Bricker. Once Bricker stepped down, the Hornets went into a title drought for a couple of campaigns. However, Moore was thrilled to celebrate Friday’s district triumph – her first as a coach – with a special group she’s known for years.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Moore said. “A lot of these girls I’ve actually coached in little league on up, and it’s just a huge victory. We have eight seniors on the team. I’m elated and speechless, I guess.”
In 2023, Pellston’s current seniors were young freshmen. In the final game they’ll ever play on their home field, they all basked in district glory in front of a vocal and proud group of supporters.
“(This year) feels sort of similar (to 2023) in aspects because when we were freshmen, we had seniors,” Pellston senior Breanna Willis said. “It wasn’t a senior-heavy team, but they were all leaders, and we were freshmen playing up, so it kind of reminds us of freshmen we have now, and us as seniors. The other day, we were guessing which freshman was which senior, and that just reminds me of that a lot.”
Was this title sweeter than the one Klungle won as a freshman starting catcher?
“Oh, absolutely – 110 percent,” Klungle said. “It’s our senior year after not winning the last two years. It’s our home field. We’ve had some struggles over the past few years, but this year we had the girls. (Being a co-op) with the Alanson team really helped us out a lot.”
Pellston advances to the regionals where it battles the District 104 (Hillman) winner in a 10 a.m. semifinal at Rogers City on Saturday, June 6. Onaway takes on Rudyard in the other semifinal at 12 p.m.
Stats from Pellston’s district wins will be provided as soon as they become available.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Pellston softball defends home field, captures MHSAA D4 district title
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
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