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EAST LANSING — Dakota’s softball team isn’t satisfied with just playing the Division 1 championship game.
The Cougars have made it their goal to come back next year and go home with the championship hardware.
“I think that was the experience we needed,” junior second baseman Brooklyn Plitz said after Allen Park defeated Dakota 5-0 at Secchia Stadium on Saturday to win his first state softball title. “We’re going to come out next year and we’re going to be hooked. We have it next year.
“We’ll be ready. We know how it feels and we don’t want to be hurt like that again.”
The Cougars, who finished 32-5, are losing four seniors — shortstop Angela Petrovitch, catcher Briana Bumbalough, first baseman May Franzoni and outfielder Katelyn Thomas — but they have a solid core coming back.
“We plan to make it a dynasty in Dakota,” said coach Dan Vitale. “We’re really solid. We plan to be back here next year and be on the other side of it. That’s how good we are. I promise you we are that good.”
Bumbalough said the Cougars’ journey to the Final Four was no fluke.
“It was a lot of hard work playing in a lot of bad weather,” she said. “The bond was the best. Team bonding is what got us here. I’m very proud of my teammates and my coaches. I will always cheer them on.”
Bumbalough will play softball at Western Michigan University next year.
An inning was the difference in the game. Allen Park hit three runs in the third inning and capitalized on some shaky Dakota fields.
Madison Hool led with a single, advanced with a sacrifice and met with a triple from newcomer Kiley Carr. Carr scored a throwing error. The third run scored a squeeze bunt from Avery Garden.
“That’s the nature of softball. A bad inning can cost you,” Vitale said.
Madilyn Ramey hit a solo homer in the sixth. The Jaguars added their final run in the seventh on a walk, a hitter and another squeeze from Garden.
“We’re really proud of our girls,” Vitale said. “We weren’t expected to get this far and we made it. That’s a really good team over there. You are well trained. We know why their shortstop (Ramey) is signed to Michigan. She made some great games and stole some hits from us.
Ramey’s best game came in the third inning. She made a jumping catch from Petrovitch’s drive heading for midfield and doubled a Dakota runner from first base. Ramey and second baseman Madison Hool gobbled up anything hit in the middle of the infield.
The Cougars couldn’t get past second base against Allen Park pitcher Morgan Sizemore. The junior right-hander scattered five hits. She recorded a strikeout but did not concede a walk.
“She threw us off balance,” Vitale said. “We tried to make adjustments but the boy put together a great game.”
Sizemore hasn’t been a pitcher her entire life, but she fills a need for the Jaguars.
“I don’t travel and I don’t think I’ll be going to college, but I think I did pretty well today,” Sizemore said. “My curveball worked pretty well… and my drop. Dakota is a really good team. I’m glad we were able to hold them off and I got my defense behind me.”
Allen park coach Mike Kish is happy to have her around.
“She’s not a pitcher by trade,” Kish said. “She stood up for us. She doesn’t throw the hardest. She may hit 60 (mph) on a good day, but she changes speeds and hits her points.”
The Jaguars were in the final last year but lost 5-0 to South Lyon. Vitale felt this helped the Jaguars in their return to championship play.
“It was important to get that experience,” he said. “They took it in, they were relaxed and they were ready to play. They knew everything that was going on. That was our first year and we had to learn.”
Kish said Allen Park set his sights on a return to the Finals by working on the mental part of the game.
“We’re telling players, be a trusty player, be a trustworthy player,” he said. “Just do your job. Don’t worry about everyone else. This is the part of the game we’ve been working on since last year. We knew we had the talent.”
Vitale said he will remember the tenacity of this team.
“They would never give up, fight to the end,” he said. “I will remember the fun we had as a group. The memories will never go away. It’s a great group of kids.”
