Michigan high school softball: Allen Park cruises by Macomb Dakota for first Division 1 title
EAST LANSING — Sporting flip-flops, a long sleeve shirt and Oakley sunglasses, Allen Park softball coach Michael Kish said he was far from surprised by his team's 5-0 victory over Macomb Dakota in Saturday's Division 1 championship game.
In actuality, Kish expected the win the second his Jaguars stepped on the field at Secchia Stadium.
"This is how it was supposed to be," Kish said. "These girls put so much time and so much energy into it, they've earned it. ... They were confident (and) collected, and I told them to just keep investing. Like I tell everybody, I ask so much of these girls. I want them to do more than they're comfortable with, that way it's easier for them out here. ... The more you invest, the bigger the return."
Allen Park's win comes one year after they fell short in the state final to South Lyon. Kish said that loss fueled the Jaguars (39-4-1) throughout the season, especially during postseason play. To make it back to the finals, Allen Park bested Garden City and Woodhaven in regional play, knocked off Farmington Hills Mercy in the quarterfinals and then edged Mattawan in the semifinals.
Kish is now 99-18-3 in his three year careers with the Jaguars.
The Jaguars got on the board in the third on freshman Kiley Carr's RBI triple, scoring senior Madison Hool. Moments later, a throwing error by the Cougars brought Carr in and a sacrifice bunt by sophomore infielder Avery Garden allowed for another run, giving Allen Park a 3-0 lead.
The Jaguars' lead grew in the sixth inning thanks to a deep homer to right-center field by Madilyn Ramey (Michigan commit). In the seventh, Garden provided another sacrifice bunt to score Faith Peschke.
Morgan Sizemore went for seven innings, notching two strikeouts and allowing five hits for the win.
"Those girls allowed me to become a better coach and learn," Kish said of his senior leadership. "They took care of any mistakes I would make. They're so good, they're like erasers ... they allowed me to push (the team) in a different direction.
"I've said this before, they make so many spectacular plays it's no longer exciting. It's like, 'OK, they're special. ... (But), it's not about the results. It's about the journey. They believed in it from Day 1. We built a family here."
Megan Nuechterlein pitched six innings, getting six strikeouts while allowing four hits and four runs for the Cougars (33-5). Dakota, making its first final since 2017, defeated Warren Reina and New Baltimore Anchor Bay in regionals, Walled Lake Northern in the quarterfinal and Hudsonville in the semifinal.
"(Our girls) never gave up," said Dakota coach Dan Vitale, now 60-14-1 in his three years with the team. "We weren't expected to get this far and we did. ... We plan on making a dynasty at Dakota from here on out. We got some great kids coming up, (and) next year we're gonna be on the other side of this."
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: MHSAA Division 1 softball: Allen Park wins first state title
