Click the thumbnails to see photos, videos taken by RRN Intern Braden Kerr
GROSSE POINTE WOODS, Mich.---The Gladstone Major Little League Al-Star softball team (age 11-12) was unable to get the bats going and was eliminated from the state tournament by Clare, 4-0, in the state quarterfinals in suburban Detroit.
Maddison Fritz threw a complete-game no-hitter for Clare, striking out 11 Gladstone batters along the way.
The little Braves managed only two baserunners: Hope Reath was hit by a pitch in the third inning and Lauren Pare was safe on a dropped pop up in the third inning. Gladstone never got a runner past second base.
Pare pitched well enough for Gladstone, going the distance and allowing seven hits and four runs (three earned). She struck out four and walked only one batter.
Clare took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an infield RBI single by Sophia Buzzelli. In the second inning, Justine Ogg singled home the second Clare run, and then in the third inning, Fritz smoked a triple to the fence and scored on a Buzzelli ground out.
The icing on the cake for Clare came in the fifth inning on an inside-the-park home run by #3 hitter Lena Renner.
Clare faces St. Clair in the semifinals Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. Hudsonville takes on Grosse Pointe in the other semifinal. Gladstone finished with a 2-2 record.
