MUSKEGON TWP. - Winning a share of the championship in the O-K Green conference is quite an accomplishment.
And setting a new school record for wins in one season is very impressive, as well.
But the Reeths-Puffer softball players probably aren’t feeling that way quite yet, because they were two outs away from having the conference title all to themselves on Tuesday when their defense let them down.
The Rockets were supposed to play a doubleheader on Monday against Zeeland West in a showdown for the O-K Green title. Both teams came in with perfect 12-0 league records and something had to give.
R-P's Jersi Bilek. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Only one game was played on Monday, however, due to the weather. Reeths-Puffer scored a run and broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning, then the rain came, the game ended and 1-0 was the final score.
At that point the Rockets had earned at least a share of the title.
On Tuesday the teams met again at R-P in another close, tense game, and it looked like the Rockets were going to pull it out, complete the sweep and keep the championship to themselves.
R-P led 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh and final inning when everything unraveled.
The ZW leadoff batter hit a routine grounder to shortstop, but the throw to first base was high and she ended up at second base.
R-P pitcher Lainey McDaniel. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The second Zeeland West batter struck out. The third hit a soft grounder on the infield, but again the play was botched with an error at first base, the runner scored from second, and the batter advanced all the way to third.
The final Dux batter put the ball in play, the runner on third scored, and suddenly R-P was on the losing end of a 3-2 score and had to share the championship.
It was a hard way to lose, particularly when the Rockets were so close.
“We average maybe one or two errors a game, sometimes none, and we had three or four in this game,” said R-P Coach Sarah Bayle, whose team finished the regular season with a 30-3-1 overall record and a 13-1 conference mark. “A good team like Zeeland West is going to find a way to push, and we made mistakes when we couldn’t make mistakes.”
R-P's Natalie Kunnen makes a running catch. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The bright side is that Monday’s exciting victory not only made the Rockets conference co-champions but set a new team record for victories in one season.
It was R-P’s 30th win, which broke the record of 29 set by the 2017 squad.
"It was exciting to see all these girls work so hard all season, top to bottom, and it really showed,” Bayle said. “They deserve it and all the recognition they get from it. Thirty wins in a season sounds so surreal to say, and we’re not done yet.”
Monday’s game could have gone either way, but the Rockets scratched across the only run that was needed in the bottom of the fifth when Kyleigh Bilek singled then scored on a double by freshman Tessa Ross.
Pitcher Lainey McDaniel did her part on the mound, tossing a one-hitter with no walks and 12 big strikeouts.
R-P's Megan Barmes snags a line drive. Photo/Jeremy Clark
Coach Bayle said she left the rainy field not sure if the game was over, but learned a while later that five innings are enough for an official game, so the Rockets won and guaranteed themselves a trophy.
‘"I got a call from our athletic director about an hour and a half later saying it was a complete game, so I texted the girls and told then,” the coach said. “They were excited, but it was kind of weird not be able to celebrate together.”
Tuesday’s game was very similar to Mondays, except it went a full seven innings and the Rockets couldn’t quite complete the task.
Reeths-Puffer took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Kaylee Jones reached base on an error and Mady Snyder knocked her in with an infield single.
The Rockets went up 2-0 in the third inning when McDaniel was hit by a pitch, advanced to second base, then went to third in a pretty amazing play. She tagged up on a routine foul popup to the Zeeland West catcher, then stunned everyone by darting for third and making it safely.
Two Rockets go for the same popup. Photo/Jeremy Clark
She scored on a passed ball during the next at-bat.
“She is just so fast,” said Bayle, who was coaching third base at the time. “I just like, OK, good job! I didn’t send her.”
Zeeland West pushed across a run in the bottom of the fourth and threatened to score again in the fifth with runners on second and third and no outs, but the Rockets got out of the jam with three straight popups.
That led to the fateful bottom of the seventh inning, when the Rockets’ defense failed in the crucial moments.
R-P's Emme Buzzell. Photo/Jeremy Clark
The loss spoiled another great pitching performance by McDaniel, who allowed only two hits and one walk and struck out nine.
“Just super impressive,” Bayle said about her ace pitcher’s two-day performance. “She didn’t let pressure situations get to her. Doing that on back-to-back days was great to see.”
Bayle said the disappointing loss might turn out to be a blessing in disguise as the Rockets head into Division 1 district tournament play, starting with a pre-district game against Mona Shores on Thursday.
"It might have brought us down to earth a little bit,” she said. “We know we can beat anybody, but we have to remember to do the little things right. I’m not glad we lose, but I am glad that we learned a lesson and we’re able to move forward.”