money Michigan softball: Parchment’s Dreier silences Buchanan bats in 1-0 regional title victory
PARCHMENT, Mich. — No. 6 Buchanan’s hopes for a second straight trip to the Division 3 state softball semifinals ended Saturday with a 1-0 setback to host Parchment in the regional championship.
Coach Rachel Carlson’s Lady Bucks, who averaged .390 for the season coming into the game, managed just four hits against Parchment senior right-hander Jess Dreier, who struck out seven batters to outduel Buchanan sophomore Hailee Kara, who finished with six and allowed just five hits.
But two of those hits came with two outs in the top of the sixth — a solid single to left by Dreier followed by Kaylee McKinney’s single to right center which scored Jess Brady, who had reached after being hit with a pitch, with the game’s only run.
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The Bucks, who averaged a little over 9.5 runs per game coming in, just couldn’t get the key hit when they needed it.
“It’s really uncharacteristic for us not to score,” Carlson said. “Credit the Parchment pitcher (Dreier) from keeping us off-balance at the plate. We’ve seen good pitchers all year, and I thought we were prepared for today. We just didn’t string the hits together when we needed to.”
The loss, their first shutout setback this season, ended the Bucks’ season at 32-7 after they went 36-5 in 2021 following a 2-1 loss to Richmond in the Division 3 state championship game.
“When your leadoff hitters don’t manage a hit, it’s tough,” Carlson said of sophomores Camille Lozmack and Hannah Herman and senior Alea Fisher went a combined 0-for-7. Herman entered the game hitting .549 (.607 on-base percentage) while Lozmack was .382 (.458) and Fisher .419 (.490).
Among the trio, only Lozmack reached first with a walk in the bottom of the sixth against Dreier, who threw 83 pitches, 60 for strikes. Her counterpart Kara, who had 63 strikes among her 95 pitches, had a pair of singles for Buchanan, one to lead off the seventh. After junior Sage Pruett reached on a bunt single one out later to put runners at second and first, Dreier induced Christian Cooper to ground back to the mound, with courtesy runner Kamille Lemon being retired at third.
Dreier then struck out freshman Cameron Carlson on three pitches to end the game.
Carlson, who led off the bottom of the third with a double and went to third on a groundout, was retired at home when Lozmack’s bunt attempt went back to Dreier, who threw home to freshman sister Kat. The Parchment catcher had plenty of time to apply the tag to a sliding Carlson.
“Hailee did a great job today pitching and our defense was outstanding,” Carlson said of her sophomore pitcher, who finished the season 18-3 with 143 strikeouts in 131.1 innings.
One of the best plays of the game came in the bottom of the third when second baseman Fisher went to her left, dove for the Kat Dreier’s bid for a second straight hit and made a backhanded flip of the ball to Carlson at first to end the inning.
Before Carlson could get a chance to sum up the season, four-year starter Fisher — one of three seniors departing after the loss — came over to embrace her coach, causing Carlson to shed tears once again after telling her players how much she loved them.
“I felt like I raised her,” Carlson chuckled between teardrops. “Fish is the kind of kid everyone wants to play ball with. She’s the life, she makes plays, she’s fun to be around, she’s always got something silly to say. She’s an all-stater. Kids want to play ball with her.”
PARCHMENT 1, BUCHANAN 0
At Parchment High School
Parchment 000 | 001 | 0—1-5-0
Buchanan 000 | 000 | 0—0-4-0
Jess Dreier (W) and Kat Dreier. Hailee Kara (L) and Christian Cooper.
2B: Cameron Carlson (B)
Records: Parchment 24-12, Buchanan 32-7.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Michigan: Buchanan bats silent in regional softball loss to Parchment
