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www.mybaycity.com July 27, 2015
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The Bay County All Stars show their excitement below the winning scoreboard.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

2015 Little League Major Girls State Champs

Bay County defeats Grandville 4-2 to claim the State Championship

July 27, 2015       Leave a Comment
By: John Keuvelaar

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When the infield fly nestled in first baseman Maggie Pitcher's glove, the Bay County Little League All Stars, formerly known as the Essexville-Hampton Little League All Stars, celebrated the Major Girls State Softball title. They had climbed the mountain and planted their flag against an undefeated Grandville team that had dominated their opponents to this point by outscoring them 48-5. Bay County entered the game in similar fashion having outscored their opponents 41-8 even though they had suffered a pool play loss to Vicksburg after they had clinched a berth in the single elimination portion of the State Tournament.


The girls were ready for the first game.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

Grandville had won the coin toss and was the home team. While they were accustomed to jumping out to early first inning leads, the Bay County girls turned the tables and thus setting the tone for the entire game. Leadoff hitter, Savannah Kokaly got the girls rolling by drawing a walk and then stealing both second and third bases. As she reached third base, the throw sailed over the fielder's head and she flew home putting the Bay County girls up 1-0. The girls were not done yet in the inning. Singles by Stephanie Pawlaczyk and Sierra Anderson along with a key sacrifice bunt by Maggie Pitcher produced a 2-0 lead in the first inning.


Savannah Kokaly flies home with the games first run.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

Teammates great her after putting them up one to nothing.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

Stephanie Pawlaczyk slide safely into third base before scoring the teams second run of the inning.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

Stephanie Pawlaczyk is greeted after scoring the second run.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

Winning pitcher, Bri Woods, kept Grandville from responding and giving the Bay County girls an additional emotional lift after one inning. The inning was also highlighted by a great defensive play including a beautiful running catch by right fielder Kayla Hendrickson near the foul line to help keep Grandville's offensive engines on idle.


.. Bri Woods fires to record one of her eight strikeouts.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

Kayla Hendrickson makes a great running catch to preserve the lead.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

The teams battled into the fourth inning when Grandville narrowed the margin to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning. Stephanie Pawlaczyk showed how it is not just strong pitching but solid defense that wins championships. The center fielder hauled in a deeply hit ball near the fence preserving the one run lead after four innings.


Stephane Pawlaczyk makes a key catch on a deeply hit ball.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

Bay County showed how champions are made as they responded in the top of the fifth inning. Singles by Megan Christensen, Haley Suchodolski and Stephanie Pawlaczyk produced two more runs for Bay County and built a 4-1 lead. Bri Woods continued her strong pitching keeping Grandville in check in their half of the fifth to send the ladies into the final inning up 4-1.


Haley Suchodolski rips the ball over the shortstops head to drive in a run.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

Sierra Anderson who pinch ran for Megan Christensen after Megan singled rounds third to score.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

Stephanie Pawlaczyk slides safely into third base.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

The sixth inning with a lead for the state title is an exciting moment when you fight off thoughts of what you are about to accomplish and focus on the task at hand. It is a real character building time that will last forever with these young ladies and they handled it was the poise you would expect from a champion. "All three coaches were climbing the fence," said a happy manager, Ken Suchodolski. "We were more nervous than the girls. We were at their mercy."


Maggie Pitcher readies to catch the final out..
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

.. and the celebration begins as they are State Champs.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

The team storms the field in jubilation.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

Grandville came out fighting which produced one run in the bottom of the sixth and final inning. Bri Woods never faltered having held Grandville in check with eight strikeouts and only giving up two hits. When she coaxed an infield pop up to first baseman Maggie Pitcher to end the game, the ladies of Bay County captured the sixth Little League girls State title in the league's history and a trip to the Central Region portion of the tournament in Indianapolis. "Coach Chris (Kokaly) jumped up and caught Maggie in the air" recalls Mgr. Ken Suchodolski of the final out.

The girls played strong throughout the tournament. Starting pool play, they demolished a Tri Rivers team from the Cheboygan and Rogers City area 21-0. Saturday they defeated Melvindale 8-0 to clinch a berth in the single elimination championship portion of the tournament. Falling to Vicksburg/Center vile team 4-2, they entered the bracket round facing always tough Tecumseh.

Our girls in blue and orange took on an a fundamentally sound and always tough Tecumseh team. Finding themselves down 2-0 in the fourth inning, Bay County literally manufactured runs through bunting and stealing their way around the bases. Stephanie Pawlaczyk lead off the inning with a single. After stealing a base, she scored on Sierra Anderson's grounder. Anderson then stole second base and was sacrificed to third by Maggie Pitcher. Anderson then scored on an Ashlyn Meyers bunt to tie the game. Meyers then stole second base and was sacrificed to third by Madison Newton. Bri Woods drove Meyers home with a single and Bay County held on for a 3-2 win.

Later that day, the girls took on Lac St. Clair who had advanced to the semi-final game with a thrilling high scoring extra inning affair against host team, Parchment. Bay County kept their running shoes on as the literally ran away with the game stealing 9 bases en route to a 7-2 win and a berth in the championship game.


The team awaits the trophy presentation that, like the Stanley Cup, bears the Teams of EHLL that have come before them and won State Titles.
With the win, Bay County travels to Indianapolis for the Central Region portion of the Little League tournament. They hope to follow the path of the 2004 EHLL team that last won the State Tournament, then captured the Central Region title then held in Joplin, Missouri. The 2004 EHLL All Stars then headed to the Little League World Series in Portland, Oregon. The EHLL team placed fifth in the world at that tournament. With their continued strong play, these girls can very likely find themselves at the Alpenrose Field in Portland, Oregon playing against the best Little League teams in the world.

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John Keuvelaar

John Keuvelaar is a college student at Midwest Photography Workshops and Delta College.

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