Western Softball Regional Champs.
(MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

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Bay City Western Girls' Softball Earns Regional Title

Hannah Leppek throws 2-hitter and delivers from the plate

June 9, 2013       Leave a Comment
By: John Keuvelaar

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If the Lady Warriors have learned anything over the past several years, it is how to put pressure on their opponents and how to handle what pressure the opponents try to dish back. Such was the case in the Regional finals game as Western shut down and out Grand Blanc while forcing four Bobcat errors finishing with a 5-0 Regional title victory.

Both teams put runners in scoring positions in the first two innings but were unable to push a run across the plate. Grand Blanc opened the game with a one out triple. But Hannah Leppek, who has been lights out through both the District and Regionals kept the Bobcats off the board. Western was turned away in their half of the first after KayLynn Carpenter layed down a nice drag bunt then stole second base. But the Warriors could not get her home.

The Grand put a runner on third base again in the second inning. Senior Kelsey Wise walked, stole second and later was awarded third base when Leppek was called for a balk. But the junior hurler never blinked getting the next batter to ground back to her to end the inning. Western suffered a similar fate as they put two runners on following a throwing error on a bunt and a walk but where held off the scoreboard for that inning.

Western started taking command of the game in the third inning. Team plate setter, Meredith Rousse opened the inning with a lead-off double in the right-center field gap. Lefty KayLynn Carpenter moved Rousse to third with a ground out to second base. Then Leppek smoked a sharp single to left putting Western up 1-0.

Grand Blanc threatened to answer in the top of the fourth after a hit batsman and a walk put runners on first and second. But it was Rousse who did the damage against the Bobcats again as the shortstop dove for a ball to her right forcing the runner out at third. Leppek then got the final out of the inning on strikes preserving the one run lead.

Western broke the game open in the fifth inning. Carpenter led off with a double off the fence in right center field. Leppek followed suit with a blast off the right field fence making it 2-0. This is where Western turned up the pressure on the Bobcat defense. Senior Diondra Heading laid down a first base line hugging bunt for a single moving Leppek to third. Heading then kept running to second and was uncontested making it runners on second and third. Western attempted a squeeze play; but the bunt was missed leaving pinch runner Madison Brewer hung up. An errant throw allowed Brewer to score stretching the Warrior lead to four. Senior Ashley DeCatur single to center driving in Heading to cap off the games scoring.

Hannah Leppek then finished off the Bobcats setting them down in order in the sixth inning and ending the game fittingly with a strike out giving Western their fourth Regional title in the last five years.

KayLynn Carpenter led all hitters by going three for four with a double and two stolen bases. Hannah Leppek handled the game from both hitting and pitching. The junior star had two hits including a double driving in the first two runs while holding Grand Blanc to two hits and striking out 8.

Western travels to Central Michigan University Wednesday to take on Grandville who defeated Wyoming 3-1 in their Regional final. Game time is 4 pm for this Quarterfinal contest. The winner will travel Saturday to Bailey Park in Battle Creek to play a semi-final game at 3:30 pm against the winner of the Utica Ford versus Garden City contest.

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

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