Hurons earn second consecutive regional trophy
For the second year in a row, the Hurons of Rogers City (31-6) are Division 4 regional champs. In the regional semifinals, they defeated Rapid River (19-15) on a walk-off RBI base hit from Courtney Streich in the bottom of the seventh for a 3-2 win.
The biggest hero of the game, and perhaps the season, was junior Alexa Quaine, who pitched the orange and black out of a bases loaded jam with nobody out and the game tied at 2-2 in the top of the seventh. Quaine struck out two and caught a pop out to put out the fire.
Cassie Brege scored from second on Streich’s game winning hit.
The Hurons moved onto the regional championship game and had a much easier time taking care of Norway, 16-4. Quaine went the distance and got the win in both games. She also hit a 3-run homer in the trophy game. It was ball that went off the glove of the Norway center fielder and into the crowd.
Junior third baseman Logan Fleming slugged home runs in both games, the first a long blast well over the cars lining the left field fence leading off the first game.
The Hurons will now be looking for their second straight trip to the Division 4 final four. They will need a win in Tuesday’s quarterfinal game over Central Lake, who topped Maple City Glen Lake 4-0 in their regional final. Game time at Traverse City West High School is 3 p.m. The girls have the day off Sunday and will get back to the practice routine on Monday.
Of the top ten teams ranked in the last coaches’ poll (from May 21) just five are left. Ubly, ranked number two, is the highest ranked team remaining in the final eight. Number-one Holton lost 7-4 in the district semifinals to number-five North Muskegon, who later lost to Vestaburg in the regional finals.
Posen, ranked number-three in the May 21 poll, lost to Rogers City, ranked number-four, in the district semifinals.
Vestaburg, at number-six, plays Ubly in the Saginaw Valley State University quarterfinals. Westland Huron Valley Lutheran, ranked number-seven, plays unranked Fowler in the Brighton quarterfinals.
Defending Division 4 state champion Kalamazoo Christian, ranked number-eight, plays unranked Morenci in the Battle Creek quarterfinals.
Coleman, ranked number-nine, lost 7-0 to Vestaburg in the district semifinals.
Rapid Rive
The winner of the Traverse City quarterfinal advances to play the winner of the Brighton quarterfinal (Fowler vs. Westland Huron Valley Lutheran) in the state semifinals. That game will be played in East Lansing June 13 at 5 p.m.
The state final game is set for June 14 at 5:30 p.m.
Watch highlights from the semifinal game here