The Rapid River High School softball team came from behind to beat the Negaunee Miners, 6-3, in the final game of the Gregg Johnson Memorial Tournament on Saturday. The Rockets trailed, 3-2, with one out in the seventh inning, when Richelle Vandeville launched a three-run homer. Natalie Belanger later added an RBI single. Brittany Schwartz pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Rapid River also beat Kingsford, 8-1, Saturday.
The Rapid River High School softball team swept both ends of a doubleheader from the Gladstone Braves on Tuesday, 11-1 and 6-4, marking the first time in program history that the Rockets have turned that trick. Click the above headline to read details, listen to interviews, and see photos and videos taken by Mike Dagenais and Bri Winling.
The Finlandia University softball team beat Maine-Presque Isle, 5-2, Sunday in Canton, N.Y., to repeat as ACAA Champions. Click the above headline to read details. (FU photo)
The Rapid River High School softball team swept Bark River-Harris in a doubleheader on Thursday, 8-0 and 12-2. Natalie Belanger threw a perfect game in the opener with 19 strikeouts. She also pitched the second game. Click the above headline for details.
Freshman Natalie Belanger kept up her torrid hitting with a home run, single, and five doubles, and she pitched two scoreless innings Wednesday as Rapid River swept Manistique, 11-0, and 23-0, in Rapid River. Click the above headline to see photos, videos.
The Escanaba High School girls softball team rolled to a doubleheader sweep of the Kingsford Flivvers on Tuesday, winning both games on the five-inning mercy rule, 11-1 and 10-0, in Escanaba. Gabbi Salo and Nicole Kamin each threw no-hitters in the circle for the Eskymos. Click the above headline to see photos, videos from Game #1.
The Gladstone High School softball team won three games on Saturday to take first place at the Chris Brien Invitational at Hanover-Horton High School. Click the above headline to see the details, and video highlights taken by Duane Hardwick.
The Upper Peninsula's high school girls softball season got under way this weekend with the Marquette Spring Swing inside the Superior Dome. Stephenson opened with a tough 11-9 loss to Newberry in one of Friday's afternoon games. (Bryce Tharp photo)
The Bay College Norse Softball Program has their first commitment for the upcoming school year. Escanaba native Madison Griffin has signed her National Letter of Intent to play at Bay College. Click the above headline to read more details.
The Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association had its Hall of Fame banquet Friday night in East Lansing. The longtime coach of Maple City Glen Lake, Gary Galla (pictured), was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Sault Ste. Marie High School team got the state's community service award, and RRN's Jack Hall was given the statewide "Friend of Softball" award. Click the above headline to see photos, and 2018's pre-season rankings.
Bay College has hired 2004 Escanaba High School graduate Heidi Charon to be the head coach for the new Norse women's softball team that will begin play in the spring of 2019. Click the above headline to read more. (Bay College photo)
Escanaba High School sophomore Gabi Salo has made a verbal commitment to play softball for the University of Wisconsin. Salo was an All-State selection for the Eskymos last spring, and played on a number of travel teams throughout the summer, in tournaments across the country. Click the above headline to read more.
A group of Upper Peninsula youth softball players won a tough extra inning game in Wisconsin over the weekend to qualify for nationals. The 906'ers beat Poynette, 7-6, in eight innings. Click the above headline to read details of the girls' championship.
The Michigan High School Softball Association held its All-Star games at Central Michigan University's Jonker Stadium on Wednesday. The Upper Peninsula had plenty of representation. Escanaba's Katie Ross and Emily Bruntjens played in Division Two, and Gladstone's Tasi Martinez played in Division Three. In Division Four, Norway's Britta Grayvold (pictured) and Rapid River's Erica Rubick played.
A group of Upper Peninsula softball players brought some hardware home from a tournament in Wisconsin over the weekend. “906 Fastpitch”, sponsored by Team Electronics, beat Johnstown, Iowa, 10-4, to win the Wisconsin North America Fastpitch Association state championship. The team has six girls from Escanaba High School, and one each from Gladstone, Rapid River, Negaunee, and Westwood High Schools.
The Upper Peninsula high school softball season came to an end on Wednesday as 30 graduating seniors from the U.P. played a pair of All-Star games in Gladstone. The South team beat the North squad, 8-7 and 14-4. Click the above headline for photos, videos.
The Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association has released its Division Three and Four All-State teams. In D-3, Gladstone first baseman Tasi Martinez (pictured) was a First Team selection, and pitcher Jenna Steinhoff was Honorable Mention. In D-4, Rapid River's Rhiley Hubert, Erica Rubick, and Richelle Vandeville were First Team selections. Lexi Trombley and Brittany Schwartz were Honorable Mention.
Four members of the state semifinalist Escanaba Eskymos have been named to the Division Two All-State softball teams by the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association. Click the above headline to read some of the season statistcs about seniors Katie Ross, Taylor Segorski (pictured, second team), Emily Bruntjens; and freshman Gabi Salo.
The Napoleon Pirates scored eight runs in the first inning Friday and cruised to a 16-0 win over the Gladstone Braves in the MHSAA Division Three softball state semifinal game at Michigan State University. Click the above headline to read game details, hear interviews, and to see photos taken by Scott Balenger and videos taken by Mike Dagenais.
The Indian River Inland Lakes Bulldogs rolled to a MHSAA Division Four softball semifinal victory, 9-0, Friday morning over Kalamazoo Christian at Michigan State University. Click the above headline for details, plus photos, videos taken by Mike Dagenais.
The Richmond Blue Devils scored four runs in the third inning and that was enough to beat the Escanaba Eskymos, 4-2, in the MHSAA Division Two state semifinals Thursday at Michigan State University. Click the above headline to read game details, and to see photos taken by Mary Gauthier, and videos taken by Mike Dagenais.
The Escanaba Eskymos play in the state softball semifinals Thursday morning against the team that knocked them out of the tournament last year: the Richmond Blue Devils. Click the above headline to see photos and videos from the team's practice at Alma College.
Jenna Steinhoff pitched a complete game in the circle, and she drove in her team's only two runs, and the Gladstone Braves upset the fifth ranked Calvin Christian Squires, 2-1, in state quarterfinal action on Tuesday. Click the above headline to read details.
The Escanaba Eskymos scored three runs in the fourth inning and added two more in the fifth to shut out top-ranked Saginaw Swan Valley, 5-0, in the MHSAA Division Two state quarterfinals Tuesday at Central Michigan University. Click the above headline to read game details, see videos taken by Mike Dagenais, and see photos taken by Mary Gauthier.
The Escanaba Eskymos and Gladstone Braves will both play in the high school softball state quarterfinals Tuesday in Lower Michigan. And both games will be broadcast on NewsTalk 600 and rrnsports.com. Click the above headline for details.
The Escanaba Eskymos survived two wars on Saturday to claim the MHSAA Division Two regional championship. The Eskymos beat Remus Chippewa Hills, 2-0, in the semifinal, and then beat Muskegon Oakridge, 2-1, in the title game, in Cadillac. Click the above headline to read the details, and to see photos taken by Mary Gauthier.
The Gladstone High School girls softball team won its second straight regional championship, and 14th title in the last 15 years, by beating Grayling, 9-1, and Manistee, 7-1, Saturday in Boyne City. The Braves (33-9) will play in the MHSAA Division Three state quaterfinal Tuesday in Petoskey, against Grandville Calvin Christian. The game starts at noon and will be broadcast on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.
The Escanaba High School softball team practiced Thursday afternoon in preparation for their MHSAA Division Two regional tournament, which will be held on Saturday in Cadillac. Click the above headline for photos and video interviews.
The Gladstone High School girls softball team practiced Thursday ahead of Saturday's MHSAA Division Three regional tournament. The girls won four games last week to win their district, and will face Grayling on Saturday. Click the above headline for details.
The Rapid River High School girls softball season came to an end in the districts for the second straight year on Friday, as the Rockets were upset by the Munising Mustangs, 6-5, in Bark River. Click the above headline to see photos and videos.
