Ravenna’s Explosive Third Inning Ends Grass Lake’s Back-to-Back Quest

Photos by Hannah Tacy, JTV Sports

Trey Richmond & David Rice | JTV Sports

Saturday June 13th, 2026

(6-13-2026, 6:50PM): Grass Lake fell just short of successfully defending their title in a 4-2 loss to Ravenna in the MHSAA Division 3 softball state championship game on Saturday.

The Warriors started the bottom of the first inning with two outs, but then in back to back at-bats Makenzie Hilberer was walked and Morgan Conrad sent her home on a line drive to left-center field for an RBI-double to take an early 1-0 lead.

Ravenna’s offense was ignited atop the 3rd inning from the bottom of their lineup. It started with an Adalynn Woodring bunt for a single. Sophie Robinson transformed a pitch into a line drive to left field for another single followed by Natalie Rosel hitting a line drive to the second baseman to load the bases with Reese Herremans stepping into the box. Her bat launched the ball to the left field track, sending two runners home to take a 2-1 lead.

The avalanche of Bulldog offense prompted a pitching change. Kayleigh Hilberer took over the circle for Conrad. Emily Postema continued the Bulldogs’ hot batting with her grounder to shortstop Makenzie Hilberer. Postman made it to first, but the throw home caught a runner in a pickle where she was eventually tagged out, saving a run. Taylor Nutt hit a grounder to short for Makenzie Hilberer to throw home again with the force out. The half of the inning ended on a two RBI single off the bat of Sydney Morrissey to left field, another runner was thrown out after the two runs came in. Ravenna led 4-2 at the end of the third inning. All eight batters in the inning found their way on base, all three outs were from base running.

Morgan Conrad came back in to pitch during the fifth inning to face one batter and then closed out the game. She gave up no runs in the back 3 innings and struck out 3 batters, including the last out in the top of the seventh inning. Grass Lake entered the bottom of the final inning with their title hopes on the line. Conrad led off the bottom of the seventh for the Warriors. She delivered a hopper over the middle for a single, then Kennedy Collins was walked after a long at bat with full count. With one out and a 2-2 count, Chloe Hollifield snuck a ball into right-center field for an RBI single that sent runner Ava Hamp home, shrinking the deficit to two. That would be as close as Grass Lake would come. A ground out and the Bulldog pitcher, Natalie Rosel’s, 10th strikeout crowned Ravenna as state champions with their 4-2 victory over Grass Lake.

Natalie Rosel had 10 strikeouts, two walks, and led the defense in retiring 11 straight batters from inside the circle. She also got on base in three of her four at-bats to lead Ravenna. Reese Herremans and Sydney Morrissey both had 2-RBI singles in the third inning that accounted for all four Bulldog runs.

Morgan Conrad was the only Warrior to get on base more than once with her RBI double in the first and single in the seventh inning. Ravenna out hit Grass Lake 10-4. GL finished the season at 35-6, with the 2025 championship and 2026 runner-up. Ravenna caps off a magical season at 40-1 with a state title after falling in the ‘25 semis.