Six 5th-inning Runs Helps Warriors Win Softball Regional Championship

Morgan Conrad (11) earned the pitching win for the Warriors. Photos by Sean Walicki, JTV Sports.

David Rice | JTV Sports

Saturday June 7th

(6-7-2025, 10:00PM): Six runs in the 5th inning helped Grass Lake win a softball regional title on Saturday at Clinton High School, defeating conference rival Columbia Central 11-4.

Columbia took the early lead, an infield error allowed Kelsey Fausz to score to give CC a 1-0 lead in the 1st. Five of the 11 runs by Grass Lake were scored in the 2nd inning.

Four singles including an RBI from Emily Brown, tied it up at one to begin the scoring run. A 3-RBI triple from CMU commit Bree Salts gave the Warriors a 4-1 lead. A fifth run scored after a wild pitch, giving Grass Lake a 5-1 lead in the 2nd.

The last four runs scored by the Golden Eagles came in the bottom of the 2nd inning. RBI singles from Camden Knapp and McKenna Hoskins made it a 5-3 game. A sac fly allowed Knapp to score to make it a one run game.

Both teams combined for just three hits in the 3rd and 4th innings, until the Warriors went on a six-run spree. Seven hits for GL, including two 2-RBI doubles made it an 11-4 lead for the Warriors, pulling away in the 5th.

Columbia Central batted just two more hits as Grass Lake defeated CC for the 3rd time this year, 11-4 to win an MHSAA D3 Regional Championship.

Emily Brown and Reese Lape each batted three hits to lead the Warriors. Kennedy Collins and Morgan Conrad each added two hits. Columbia Central was led by pitcher Hailey Wetherby, who batted two hits and pitched for the Eagles.

CCHS finishes the season at 30-10 overall. Grass Lake will face Laingsburg in the state quarterfinal on Tuesday at Jackson College at 4pm.