By John Raffel
Pinconning’s special season ended against a special team at Michigan State University on June 12 in the Division 3 state softball semifinal round. The team finished with a 30-14 record after a 6-0 loss to St. Mary Catholic Central.
Pinconning only had two baserunners in the game, and both of them reached on errors. St. Mary pitcher Meghan Beaubuien didn’t allow a hit or a walk, and she fanned 16 batters.
“She did a great job,” Pinconning coach Fred Yanoski said. “She hit her spots. We knew she was good coming in. She kept all our batters off balance. We were very impressed. She pitched the order differently every time she went through. They played defense behind her. They outplayed us today.”
Pinconning’s starting pitcher, Danielle Miotte, went 4 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits.
“Our girls were excited and handled themselves pretty well,” Yanoski said. “It’s our first time here. We had some first-time jitters. It’s a pretty big stage. It’s such a great experience. It’s more than just a game. I was impressed with how our girls handled it emotionally.”
In the regional, Pinconning’s wins came over Shepherd, 6-5, and Harrison, 1-0.
It was the Spartans’ first regional title since 2010. The school had nine appearances in the 17 seasons between 1988 and 2004, including three state titles.
In the quarterfinal, Pinconning edged Reese, 5-3. Gabby Yanoski had an RBI triple, and Malinda Talaga had an RBI single to spark a game-winning rally.
“They need to know there’s nothing they have to be ashamed,” Yanoski said “They’ve had a fantastic season. We’ve played with a lot of heart and enthusiasm. Heart and emotion brought us a long way.”