This is Week 2 of the CatchMark Catch-Up for the 2023 spring sports season in the West Michigan Conference.
It’s Monday, April 17, 2023, and we’re recapping conference highlights spanning April 10-15.
Before we dive into that, it’s worth noting a couple things:
- Coaches: It’s very important that you submit your game scores and recaps/details/stats to us. We use that info in a variety of content at CatchMark SportsNet, including but not limited to our Scoreboard, Player of the Week fan polls, and the Catch-Up that you’re reading now. We are not receiving scores and info from a number of coaches across the league. Please help us out, which in turn will help your athletes get exposure.
- Coaches: Please email those game scores, recaps/details/stats in a timely fashion. We are asking you submit them the day/night of the game or event. And that info should be emailed to sports@catchmarkit.com. Multiple people at CatchMark SportsNet have access to the sports@catchmarkit.com email address as we all produce varying content from it.
SOFTBALL
Oakridge softball coach Joe Coletta reaches 300-win milestone
Veteran Oakridge softball coach Joe Coletta reached the 300-win milestone in his career in Saturday’s Lakeshore Slam event at Ross Park in Norton Shores.
The Eagles’ 12-5 win over Spring Lake to start the day was No. 300 and the 9-1 victory over Allendale was No. 301.
Oakridge fell to Wayland in the tourney finals, 4-2. Oakridge was ranked No. 9 in the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association Division 2 preseason poll, while Wayland was listed honorable mention.
Coletta has guided the Eagles to six straight WMC championships, seven district titles and the program’s first regional crown (2014).
Ravenna wins Kubasiak Memorial Tournament title
Ravenna’s softball team has roared out of the gates this season. The Bulldogs improved their season record to 7-0 by winning the Kubasiak Memorial Tournament Saturday in Ravenna. The Kubasiak annual tourney is held in honor of Peter and Erika Kubasiak, Ravenna siblings who lost their lives in a 2016 automobile accident.
Ravenna’s softball team opened the day beating Grant (10-1). The Bulldogs then topped Coopersville (4-1) in the second round-robin game before they knocked off Cedar Springs (4-1) in the tourney finals.
Grant and Coopersville are Division 2 squads, while Cedar Springs is Division 1. Ravenna was listed honorable mention in the MHSSCA Division 3 preseason poll.
North Muskegon takes Morley Stanwood invite crown
North Muskegon’s softball team went 2-0 en route to winning the Morley Stanwood Invitational Saturday.
The Norse defeated Howard City Tri-County in the first game (16-6), then beat tourney host Morley Stanwood (9-4) to win the title.
Madison Balon earned both pitching victories for North Muskegon, which is now 4-2 on the season. In the first game, she allowed one run on two hits with eight strikeouts and one walk over four innings. In the second game, she surrendered four runs on eight hits with 13 strikeouts and one walk in seven innings.
North Muskegon collected 21 hits as a team against Tri-County.
Recapping the Game of the Week
CatchMark SportsNet’s first WMC Game of the Week for the 2023 spring sports season brought us to Ravenna, where the Bulldogs hosted Holton in a Rivers Division doubleheader.
Ravenna took both games, 9-3 and 11-0.
CLICK HERE for complete coverage.
You can watch a replay of the livestream here:
BASEBALL
WMC teams play at historic Marsh Field
Baseball teams from Ludington and Oakridge played at historic Marsh Field in Muskegon in back-to-back days last week.
Ludington took on a strong Fruitport squad and fell 15-0 in four innings in the “Friday Night Lights” event. “As a team, we did not do any of the phases well,” Orioles coach Evan Kroeze said. “Wehave a lot of work to do and need to come together as a team. A lot of baseball left to go this season.”
The next day, Oakridge took on Upper Peninsula opponent Sault Ste. Marie at Marsh. The Eagles took the first game, 2-1, and lost the second one, 4-3.
Brody Jennings notched the Game 1 win and Matt Danicek earned the save for the Eagles. Danicek and Gage Lowry drove in runs for Oakridge in the first game. Jennings was 2-for-3 at the plate. Arturo Romero-Serrano made a diving play up the middle on a line drive, then he stepped on second base for a double-play force out that ended the game.
“The Eagles and Blue Devils would like to thank the Marsh Field staff for the well-manicured field and help with announcing,” Oakridge coach Brandon Barry said.
GIRLS SOCCER
North Muskegon gets big test against Spring Lake
North Muskegon’s girls soccer team figured it would be facing a tough task playing perennially strong Spring Lake on the Lakers’ home field Friday night.
The Norse definitely were pushed in a way they may not see the rest of the season.
Spring Lake defeated North Muskegon, 6-2, pulling away from the Norse after the visitors had pulled within 3-2 with 30 minutes left in regulation.
CLICK HERE for complete coverage.
BOYS GOLF
Manistee uses depth to win first WMC Lakes jamboree
Fremont’s Killian Prewitt was the top individual scorer in the first WMC Lakes Division jamboree of the season last Wednesday at Stonegate Golf Club, but Manistee used its depth to finish at the top in the team standings.
Prewitt shot 38 in the nine-hole event hosted by Oakridge. Manistee claimed the second through fifth spots: Max Scharp (41), Braydon Sorenson (42), Jacob Scharp (42) and Ben Schlaff (43).
North Muskegon’s Tate Pannucci in remission
North Muskegon sophomore Tate Pannucci’s No. 1 passion in sports is football. He played tennis last fall and he’s a member of the Norsemen’s golf team this spring.
Pannucci is eyeing a return to the football field, which is now a possibility as he recently was declared in remission after a nearly two-year, four-month battle with cancer.
CLICK HERE for the story.
Here is a video that shows Pannucci ringing the bell last week at DeVos Children’s Hospital and to hear from Pannucci and his parents:
GIRLS TENNIS
Game of the Week this Wednesday — weather permitting
CatchMark SportsNet’s second WMC Game of the Week of the spring sports season will feature a girls tennis. It’ll be the first tennis match we’ve streamed, so please be patient with us.
Whitehall hosts North Muskegon Wednesday in a match slated to begin around 4 p.m. Of course, this is all weather-permitting. As this story was published Monday morning, snow was falling in Whitehall.
Whitehall athletic director Brian Beebe will be handling play-by-play duties, while CatchMark’s Cal VanSingel will be color commentator.
All CatchMark livestreams are dependent upon connectivity at the site. Here is a direct link to the livestream for North Muskegon-Whitehall girls tennis:
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
Whitehall starts fast out of the blocks
Whitehall’s boys track and field squad is aiming for the top this season, eyeing a Division 2 team state title. The Vikings looked dominant Friday en route to winning the team title at the Fruitport Invitational.
Whitehall scored 173 points, beating runner-up Berrien Springs by 24 points. Reeths-Puffer was a distant third with 80 points. Whitehall junior Malcolm Earvin established personal records in the 100-meter dash (third-place, 11.07 seconds) and 200 dash (first place, 22.42 seconds). Viking sophomore Camden Thompson set a PR in the 110 hurdles (15.86) en route to first place, and he also won the high jump (6 feet, 2 inches).
Last Wednesday, Whitehall dusted the field in a WMC tri-meet at Montague. The Vikings beat Montague (107.5-29.5) and Fremont (111-26).
Hart wins another invite
Hart’s boys track and field team captured another title on Saturday, winning the Warrior Invitational at Remus Chippewa Hills. The Pirates edged Cedar Springs, 122-121.5. Benzie Central was third at 89.5.
Hart took first place in three of four relays (4×100, 4×400, 4×800), and the Pirates placed third in the other (4×200). Kellen Kimes placed first in shot put (56-10) and discus (159-5) for Hart. The Pirates’ Revin Gale established a PR en route to winning the 200 dash (23.27), and he ran a leg on the winning 4×100 relay.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
Whitehall’s Maelie Hope runs fast, throws far
Everybody knew that Whitehall senior Maelie Hope was a force in the throwing events. She was definitely that during Friday’s Fruitport Invitational, but Hope also put her speed on full display.
Hope established PRs in both the 100 and 200 dashes, winning the former (12.99 seconds) and placing third in the latter (27.50). She took first place in shot put with a toss of 40-8, but perhaps the most impressive feat was her effort in discus. Hope unleashed a throw of 153 feet to win by almost 50 feet. Not only was that a PR for Hope, but it’s the top mark in the state this season, according to Athletic.net.
Whitehall sophomore Cami Kraai took first place in both the 1600 (2:27.11) and 3200 (5:31.65).
The Vikings took second in the Fruitport invite as a team, totaling 113 points. Berrien Springs was first (166), while Manistee was third (98) and Ludington fourth (88.5).
