Grosse Pointe News - Local History Archives

GROSSE POINTE NEWS, AUGUST 9, 2012
SOFTBALL
SPORTS
GP/HW10U softball enjoys state run
By Curt Sylvester
Special Writer
The girls of the Harper
Woods Grosse Pointe
Little League all-star softball
team came within
two runs of making it to
the final four before bowing
out of the 9-10 year
old state tournament.
The girls, who adopted
the nickname Cobras,
saw their title hopes
snuffed out in a wellplayed
5-4 quarterfinal
loss to Grandville, with
the potential tying run at
third base.
Although they were
disappointed and shed
some tears in the moments
immediately after
the game, the team was
heartened by the fact it
had progressed deeper
into the state tournament
than any other Harper
Woods Grosse Pointe had
gone previously.
"We've never had a
team go to the championship
round," said
Harper Woods Rec
Director John Bobak,
who directs the HWGP
Little League girls program.
"To get beyond
pool play is really exceptional."
The Cobras earned
their trip to the state tournament
in Wyoming by
taking the District No. 6
title with three consecutive
wins in early July and
advanced to the eightteam
championship segment
of the 16-team tournament
by winning two
of three games in pool
PHOTO BY NICOL BRUMME
Players and coaches of the Cobras soaked up the moment of playing in the state championship tournament at the end of July.
play.
Third baseman Rachel
Liagre singled and
scored, giving the Cobras
a 1-0 lead against
Grandville in the second
inning, and outfielder
Jenna Hummel singled
and scored on a base hit
by pitcher Grace Haynes
in the fourth inning.
But the Grandville
team responded with
three runs in the third inning,
one in the fourth
and one in the fifth to
take a 5-2 lead.
The Cobras rallied with
two runs in the bottom of
the fifth when first baseman
Sydney Brumme
and outfielder Isabella
Cusumano drew walks
and scored, and it appeared
they would tie the
score when Haynes hit a
ground ball sharply up
the middle.
The Grandville centerfielder
fielded the ball
smoothly, however, and
got the third out on a
force at second base.
The Cobras came close
to tying the game again in
the sixth inning when
Brumme hit a two-out
triple but they couldn't
push the run across.
The loss ended a fourday
tournament run for
the girls, who got off to
an inauspicious start in
pool play by dropping a
13-1 decision to Freeland
in a game initially delayed,
and later interrupted,
by rain. Another loss
would have virtually
eliminated any championship
hopes but the
Cobras beat District No.
11 champion Negaunee,
5-2, and then handed
District No. 15 champion
Three Rivers its only loss
of the tournament, 15-6,
to move into the championship
segment of the
tournament.
Grace Haynes gave up
just three hits and struck
out 12, and shortstop
Natalie Wieteche had a
single, two walks and
scored two runs in the
victory over Negaunee.
Rachel Liagre and
Sydney Brumme had key
hits in the game-winning
four-run rally in the sixth
inning.
Three Rivers grabbed
an early 5-0 lead in the
third and final pool game
but the Cobras stormed
back with a single run in
the third, five runs in the
fourth and nine runs in
the fifth.
Kendall Volpe had a
single, two walks and
scored three runs; Kayla
Kettler and Cusamano
had key RBI hits; and
pitchers Kayla Sylvester
and Brumme teamed up
to quiet the previously
booming Three Rivers
bats.
The team was comprised
of 13 players from
the four Harper Woods
Grosse Pointe Little
League teams — Sydney
Brumme, Isabella
Cusumano, Grace
Haynes, Erin Kane and
Kendall Volpe from Cuzie
Customs; Jenna
Hummel, Kayla Kettler,
Rachel Liagre and Vivian
Liagre
from
NuAppearance; Julia
O'Halla, Kayla Sylvester
and Natalie Wieteche
from the Lions Club; and
Elizabeth Ziemba from
theJeepsters.
Bruce Haynes of Cuzie
Customs was the Cobras'
manager, with coaching
assistance from Tim
Kane, Brian Mull and
Curt Sylvester.
SOFTBALL
Diamonds sparkle
The Grosse Pointe Diamonds 16U Softball team recently won the Huron Park Stars
and Stripes Softball Tournament. The girls won all five contests with Tabitha
Adkins and Nicole Fitch winning two games apiece and Emily Surzyn winning one.
Team members pictured above are coach Jessica Richardson, Nicole Fitch, Dana
O'Donnell, Crista Nannini, Emily Alway, Izzy Kirch, Hannah Bielman, Nicole
Haggerty, Ashley Taber, Tabitha Adkins, Emily Surzyn, Hannah Mathies, and
Coach Robert Mlynarek. Not pictured is Josalyn Spears.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHRYN SURZYN
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District
winner
The Grosse Pointe Farms
City Little League 10U
tournament team, left,
won a District No. 6
championship before
heading to Kalamazoo to
compete in the state tournament.
In the district title
game, GPFC went extra
innings to defeat Grosse
Pointe Park. The squad
made it to the quarterfinals
in the state tournament
before losing to
eventual champion
Midland. Team members
were Zach Wollenzin,
Weston Brundage,
PHOTO COURTESY OF TERRELL BURKE Connor Paull, Niko Post,
Miles Jamieson, Ryan Murphy, Cody Shook, RK
Nugent, James Doerer, Carter Sales, Kevin McCarron,
Carter Burke, Cam Mallegg, and coaches Mike Paull,
Murray Sales and Paul Burke.
I