Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
HOLLAND, MI – Belding softball coach Mikayla Linebaugh says that if you would have told her earlier this year that this year’s squad would make another deep run in the Division 2 state tournament, she may have laughed at you.
After all, she had such a young team, with only three seniors and six sophomores.
But Belding softball has become used to playing into June, with the three previous teams advancing to at least the state quarterfinals.
This year’s team kept that tradition going, as the Redskins advanced to the quarterfinals against Wayland Union on June 11 at Hope College.
In the battle of the young and talented teams, the Wayland Union Wildcats smacked the ball all over the field and received excellent pitching from freshman hurler Mallory Teunissen in an 11-1 win over Belding.
Wayland finished with 17 hits, and Teunissen limited Belding’s offense to two hits.
“They hit one through nine and played defense; that was the difference,” Linebaugh said. “But I want to credit my seniors for their leadership. Today we played against a great team, but I’m still proud of my girls for making it this far.”
Those three seniors on this year’s team were centerfielder Mindy Reminga; first baseman Morgan Hill;, and pitcher Kyleigh Linebaugh, the coach’s daughter.
Kyleigh Linebaugh has been a strong presence on the mound for the Redskins ever since her freshman season, and she played an instrumental part in leading Belding to the district title in 2009, a trip to the semifinals in 2010, and the quarterfinals the past two seasons.
She was hoping that this year’s team would be able to take a couple of extra steps and win a title, but that was not to be.
“I’m sad right now, I wish we could have gone farther,” Kyleigh Linebaugh said. “But I’m proud of this team and how far we came. Nobody thought we could advance this far, but we did.”
Kyleigh Linebaugh said the program will be in good hands as she leaves it.
“I was very impressed with how the young players stepped up this year,” she said. “This whole team has come a long way, and we are very young.”
Some of the young players that will be looked at to keep the momentum going are players like Linebaugh’s sister and second baseman Hannah Linebaugh, right fielder Autumn Thome, shortstop Rachel Hunt, left fielder Makayla Boss, and centerfielder Mariah Heintzelman – all sophomores.
“I told the young players [after the Wayland loss] that you can’t put your gloves away until March now,” Mikayla Linebaugh said. “We want our athletes to play other sports, but they still have to work on their games if they are to take another step.”