Softball season ends with losses for Airport, Whiteford, Summerfield
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Softball season ended with heartbreak for three Monroe County Region teams.
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Both Airport and Whiteford carried a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning before a three-run inning pinned them with a 4-3 loss in the state quarterfinals.
Airport got stung by Farmington Hills Mercy in Division 2 while defending state champ Grass Lake frustrated Whiteford fans in Division 3.
It was a different score for Summerfield, but the Bulldogs also saw the curtain come down on their season with an 8-4 loss to defending Division 4 champion Mendon.
Division 2
WILLIS – Brooklyn Martin doubled home a run and Peyton Zajac followed with a run-scoring single to give Airport a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning, but Mercy responded with a three-run sixth inning.
“I told the girls this doesn’t define what these seniors have done,” Airport coach Jess Irwin said. “They have won three regional tournaments. I am so proud of what they have done.”
Airport left seven runners on base, including six in scoring position, and made two costly errors.
“We didn’t cash in with runners in scoring position and had a couple of defensive breakdowns,” Irwin said.
Martin went 2-for-3, drove in a pair of runs and scored once. Olivia Tilley also was 2-for-3 and scored a run. Emma Wehrs cracked a double.
Airport finishes 35-6.
Mercy is headed to the state semifinals at Michigan State Thursday despite entering the state tournament with a 13-16 record.
“These girls are so resilient and work so hard,” Mercy coach Alec Lesko said. “On March 9, defense was our weakness. Now it’s a strength.”
Division 3
NOVI – There were no hits in the winning rally for Grass Lake. Three walks and a hit batter led to the uprising.
“There is no way to sugarcoat it,” Whiteford coach Matt VanBrandt said.
Addeson Cousino led the Bobcats with three hits.
"We didn't play clean enough to defeat the defending champs,” VanBrandt said. “We fought hard until the end and I'm proud of this group. We had tremendous growth throughout the season, and our two seniors Bailey Spradling and Addeson Cousino were great leaders on and off the field."
Spradling and Cousino were the only seniors on a 23-12 team that won Tri-County Conference, district and regional championships.
“It was incredible,” VanBrandt said of his team’s late-season surge. “We really have a young team. They really jelled together at the end.”
Division 4
BATTLE CREEK – Brea Olmsted ripped a pair of hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs for Summerfield.
Mia Samples also had two hits for the Bulldogs.
Summerfield scored three times in the final inning after falling behind 8-4.
The Bulldogs finish 20-13.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Airport, Whiteford, Summerfield end softball season with heartbreak