Photos by Bethany McCullough | CatchMark
RAVENNA — Ravenna softball players have been atop the West Michigan Conference pitching and hitting stat leaderboards throughout the season.
The Bulldogs showed why again on Saturday en route to winning a Division 3 district championship on their home field.
Ravenna broke out the bats in a 15-0, three-inning victory over Montague in the semifinals, then they leaned on their pitching and timely hitting in a hard-earned 4-1 win over Kent City in the finals.
It’s the second straight district title for West Michigan Conference Rivers Division champ Ravenna (33-5), which advances to face Remus Chippewa Hills in a 10 a.m. regional semifinal next Saturday (June 10) at Newaygo. Grandville Calvin Christian, which beat Ravenna 1-0 in the regional finals last season, takes on Delton Kellogg in the other regional semifinal at Newaygo.
Montague closes the season with a 15-21 overall record. Kent City, which defeated Newaygo 7-4 in the first district semifinal Saturday, ends its season with a 24-10 record.
Here are more details from the three district games Saturday at Ravenna:
- In the finals, Ravenna’s Addison Gillard tossed a three-hitter. She carried a shutout into the seventh inning and allowed one earned run. She struck out nine and walked none. Gillard also had a pair of hits.
- The Bulldogs’ Kara Postema went 2-for-3 with two runs scored against Kent City.
- Ravenna’s Emily Postema tripled and Riley Homoly doubled against Kent City. Homoly drove in two of the Bulldogs’ four runs.
- Jaycee Hoffman took the loss for Kent City. She allowed four earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks in six innings of work. Hoffman tripled and scored in the seventh for the Eagles’ lone run.
- Kara Postema homered and tripled en route to a 3-for-3 game for the Bulldogs against the Wildcats. Postema drove in three runs and scored three runs.
- In Ravenna’s victory over Montague, Emma Herremans went 3-for-3 with a long home run, two RBIs and three runs scored.
- Homoly went 2-for-2 with a double for Ravenna against Montague. She drove in three runs and scored twice.
- Addison Gillard and Emily Postema both doubled for Ravenna in the semifinals.
- Ellie Solem scored two runs for the Bulldogs against the Wildcats.
- Amelia Porter had a hit and drove in two runs for Ravenna vs. Montague.
- Emma Gillard and Homoly combined on a three-inning no-hitter against Montague. Gillard struck out five in two innings.
- Natalie Kellogg took the loss for Montague against Ravenna. She surrendered 10 runs, but only two were earned. Kellogg allowed seven hits, struck out none and walked one.
- In Kent City’s victory over fellow Central State Activities Association opponent Newaygo, Hoffman struck out 16 and walked only one in seven innings. She allowed one earned run and five hits. Hoffman helped her own cause by scoring three runs.
- Kent City’s Lexie Bowers was 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the win over Newaygo.
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