Leslie withstands late Laingsburg rally to make Softball Classic final
The Leslie softball team had been in plenty of situations in the past year like the one that transpired on Wednesday evening.
Leading 6-2 over a dangerous-hitting Laingsburg team, Leslie took a big Wolfpack punch as Laingsburg plated three runs off pitcher Ada Bradford in the sixth inning to cut Leslie's lead to just one.
But, as the defending Softball Classic champ, Leslie persevered and Bradford sat down the Laingsburg lineup in the seventh to secure a 6-5 win and a spot in Friday's Classic championship game.
"We got rolling a little bit and the momentum on our side and that's huge in a sport like this," Leslie coach Richard Bradford said. "(Laingsburg) got it back from us and they're a really tough team to battle with, but this group has been challenged a lot over the years and we did a pretty good job of bouncing back."
Senior catcher Myah Fletcher was an offensive catalyst for the Blackhawks, launching a two-run homer in part of a four-run fifth inning.
Fletcher, who drove in the only run in last year's regional loss to Laingsburg, has become one of Leslie's most reliable hitters and helped get some revenge on the Wolfpack.
"When the bottom of our order showed up and pushed through, it showed the rest of us that we could do it too," Fletcher said. "Then it was just about passing the bat to the next player, which is a mentality we've had all season long. We've been in this position before and we'll be able to walk in more confidently into the final this year."
Leslie (29-5) will look to defend its Classic crown against Grand Ledge, which ousted Fowlerville in the other semifinal.
Having the experience of winning last year gives Bradford tremendous confidence in his team to face off against the bigger schools in the area.
"It's helped a lot this whole year, and this game showed exactly why," Bradford said. "We've been in a lot of close games and have had to battle, and we have been able to put up some big innings this year. This tournament is big and it's nice to play against some bigger schools."
Laingsburg (32-3) will host a doubleheader with Beal City on Friday before preparing for district play, where the Wolfpack open against Lansing Catholic.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Leslie withstands late Laingsburg rally to make Softball Classic final
