It was the epitome of a white-knuckle experience Saturday afternoon at Bailey Park in Battle Creek.

With their pitchers dueling away, Garden City and Alpena looked as if the Division 1 state softball championship game might never end. Both sides had chances to win and there were countless situations where both sides might lose.

But with two outs and a 2-2 count, Cougars’ senior pitcher Hallie Minch doubled home senior centerfielder Katie Torok in the 14th to give Garden City a 2-1 edge.

Minch – who struck out 17 – then overcame a second-and-third scare in the bottom half to close out the victory and the D1 state championship.

Senior shortstop Christina Seward finally squeezed a pop fly for the final out and that prompted a palpable sigh of relief by players, coaches, fans and probably anybody back in Garden City following the game on the Internet.

“Actually, it (catching the pop up) was nerve-wracking,” said Seward with a chuckle as digital cameras clicked nearby. “I’m not going to lie.”

Garden City head coach Barry Patterson, however, didn’t realize Seward’s catch meant the school finally had won its first-ever athletic state championship.

“After eight, nine innings I don’t remember too much in terms of plays,” Patterson explained. “I get into that mode where I was just trying to do one play at a time, one pitch at a time.

“In fact, when the game was over, (assistant coach) Chuck Drewicz came over and grabbed me and picked me up and he’s like ‘Are you kiddin’ me?’ I didn’t even realize it for a second. I can’t believe it, it’s just incredible.”

Shortly after Michigan High School Athletic Association officials presented the trophy to the Cougars (32-6), Torok completed a victory lap around the bases with the prize held high over her head.

“Yeah, they (teammates) put me up to it,” Torok said later. “I promised if we won states I’d do it. It’s just an amazing feeling, I can’t explain it. It’s crazy. Everyone’s so excited and so happy.”

Patterson, in his 22nd season as Garden City coach and first trip to the finals since 1991, called Minch the team’s undisputed cornerstone – although he said the rest of the team came through time and time again all year.

“What a rock,” Patterson said about Minch. “She was our foundation and we built around that for the last four years that she’s been here.”

It was fitting that Minch (3-for-6, two RBI) delivered the game-winning hit, a clean line drive to left-center that easily scored Torok (who reached on an infield error and then went to second on a grounder by Seward).

According to Minch, she wanted to be in the situation to finally win the game with a hit.

“There (were) two outs and a runner on second,” Minch noted. “I was looking forward to being in that position all day. I said it to myself when I got up there, I wanted to be in that position. She threw me one right where I wanted and I hit it.”

What Minch did on the mound and at the plate in clutch situations, in the final game of a four-year career, provided her dad with an early Father's Day present.

"I can't even express right now how proud I am of her," said choked-up Cougars' assistant coach Mark Minch, his voice cracking. "I've got mixed emotions right now. It's her last high school game, but what a great way to go out."

Concurring was senior third baseman Kristina Susalla.

"I'm so blessed to have a team like this to play on," she said. "I wouldn't want to end my high school career any other way."

CLIMBING BACK

Patterson’s team fell behind 1-0 in the fourth, when a fly ball to shallow center by Rachael Brown dropped in to allow third baseman Leah Cox (2-for-5) to score.

But the Cougars were unable to break through against Alpena pitcher Rachel Gebauer (14 innings, 8 hits, 0 walks, 12 strikeouts). Garden City only managed singles by junior leftfielder Shannon Pietruszka and senior third baseman Kristina Susalla through five.

In the sixth, however, Seward laced a two-out single to center and then stole second.

Minch, on a 3-2 count, sent a chopper toward shortstop and beat the throw to first. Meanwhile, Seward motored all the way home on the play.

That’s where the fun really began, as both pitchers kept the other team off the scoresheet for the next seven innings.

Of course, there was plenty of “drama” throughout the latter stages as Garden City assistant coach Al Russell said.

Gebauer nearly won the game for the Wildcats leading off the eighth, but her fly ball down the left-field line hooked foul and she then struck out.

Alpena (34-6) put the first two runners on base in the ninth. But Seward forced the lead runner on a grounder.

That brought up Brown, who hit a pop up near the pitcher’s circle. The ball fell in, to the chagrin of Garden City’s faithful. But instead of the misplay loading the bases, the umpire ruled it an infield fly and automatic out.

Minch wasn’t out of the woods yet. A liner by Katie Prevo looked as if it was headed into right field for a game-ending single. But Cougars’ senior second baseman Tricia York dove and backhanded the ball with a brilliant, desperation grab.

“Just try to catch the ball, that’s all I wanted to do,” said York about the play. “I just needed to catch it or they’d win.”

The catch drew raves from Minch.

“Oh, yeah, that was really good,” the pitcher said. “I was standing there getting nervous, but once she did that I think it pumped the whole team up even more.”

The Cougars briefly stirred things up on a two-out double by junior Katelyn Shattleroe (2-for-5) in the 10th, only to be left stranded. Minch and Shattleroe also collected hits in the 12th and 13th, but Gebauer held Garden City at bay.

“She (Gebauer) moved the ball around real well,” Drewicz said. “She kept the ball up and away and she was tough to hit.”
 

The above article was taken from the Garden City Observer, it was a great game, I was honored to be in attendance and I don't have the words to tell you how proud I am to be from Garden City Michigan.