After 27 straight wins, Ravenna finally tested by Morley Stanwood

It was another packed week of area softball featuring dominant pitching performances, explosive offensive showings, milestone achievements and the end of one of the area’s longest unbeaten streaks. Ravenna finally suffered its first loss of the season after opening with 27 straight wins, while Ludington rolled to a conference sweep, Whitehall earned a statement victory over Oakridge, and several area stars delivered no-hitters, home runs and career milestones in a memorable night across West Michigan.

Ravenna vs Morley Standwood

The Ravenna Bulldogs finally met adversity Wednesday night, splitting a doubleheader with Morley Stanwood after opening the season with 27 straight victories.

Ravenna dominated the opener, cruising to a 16-0 victory behind another overpowering pitching performance from Natalie Rosel. But the Mohawks answered in Game 2, handing the Bulldogs their first loss of the season with a 13-8 win.

Rosel continued her incredible season in the opener by tossing a five-inning no-hitter. The Bulldogs ace walked two and struck out 11 while controlling the game from the first inning on.

Ravenna’s offense backed her early and often. Emily Postema paced the Bulldogs with two hits, including a home run, while Reese Herremans added two hits and a double. Adalynn Woodring also collected two hits, and Kendyl Luce chipped in a double.

The nightcap proved to be a much different story. Morley Stanwood jumped on Ravenna pitching and never let up, totaling 13 runs on 11 hits to snap the Bulldogs’ unbeaten streak. Sophie Robinson took the loss in the circle, striking out seven while battling through a tough outing.

Despite the defeat, Ravenna still showed offensive firepower. Rosel went 2-for-3 with a home run, Herremans added a solo homer, and Sydney Morrissey and Robinson each doubled.

The split moved Ravenna to 27-1 overall and 10-0 in the West Michigan Conference Rivers Division. The Bulldogs will host Zeeland West on Friday.

Other games

• Ludington swept Montague, 24-1 and 17-5 — Madison VanSickle earned the win in the opener while Kaelyn Cole drove in four runs. In Game 2, Eva Flores went 3-for-3 with two doubles and five RBI while Annika Heemstra struck out eight in the circle. Ludington improved to 11-15 overall and 4-4 in the WMC Lakes Division.
• Whitehall split with Oakridge, winning 10-9 before falling 13-3 — The Vikings earned a signature victory in Game 1 behind Beth LeaTrea’s 11 strikeouts and strong offensive performances from Peyton Schultz and Emily Ames, who each had three hits. Janie Fagan homered in the nightcap for Whitehall.
• North Muskegon swept Hesperia, 20-0 and 16-0 — Alaina Smith finished a perfect 7-for-7 on the day while Braedi Baker threw a no-hitter in Game 1 and surpassed 500 career strikeouts during the doubleheader.
• Mona Shores swept Muskegon by identical 17-0 scores — Jaslene McHenry threw a perfect game in the opener, striking out eight of the nine batters she faced. Miley Peterson, Allison Silva and Grace Mitchelli each collected three hits in Game 1.
• Mason County Eastern swept Pentwater, 4-2 and 8-2 — Cardinals pitcher Miley Kessel struck out nine batters in each game and surpassed 500 career strikeouts. Bryanna Hasenbank highlighted the offense in the nightcap with a 3-for-3 performance.
• Grand Haven split with Grandville, winning 3-2 before losing 2-1 — Bella Korf hit the game-winning home run in the opener while Lorelei Chciuk recorded 16 strikeouts in the nightcap despite the loss.
• Shelby swept Mason County Central, 19-17 and 16-0 — Jayna Burmeister homered three times on the day, including two inside-the-park home runs in Game 2. Shelby improved to 22-6 overall.
• Reeths-Puffer split with Jenison — The Rockets won the opener 14-3 behind Olivia Ambler’s three-run homer before dropping the nightcap after Jenison scored eight runs in the fourth inning.
• Hart and Onekama split a doubleheader — Hart rebounded from an 18-1 loss in the opener with a dominant 19-1 victory in Game 2 behind Reese Smith’s four-hit performance.

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