EAST LANSING — Gaylord possessed one of the most productive offenses in MHSAA history entering Thursday’s first Division 2 softball state semifinal.
The top-ranked Blue Devils showed no signs of a power failure in securing a spot in Saturday’s championship final.
Gaylord scored in four of the seven innings in a 9-0 victory over Milan at Secchia Stadium.
The reigning Division 2 champions have recorded more than 400 RBI this season and have outscored its last four postseason opponents by a combined 48-4.
“We just prepare really hard in practice and put a lot of time in,” Blue Devils head coach Ron Moeggenberg said. “The offense is very good. We hit the long ball, and we can play the short game. We do a little bit of everything, so it’s very special.”
Gaylord hopes to repeat Saturday when the Blue Devils face Vicksburg in a rematch of last year’s Final. First pitch is at 12:30 p.m.
“Not pressure, just a lot of excitement,” Gaylord junior and Gatorade’s Michigan Softball Player of the Year Aubrey Jones said. “We’ve never really felt pressure. We don’t believe in pressure. The only pressure we have is what we put on ourselves. As long as we play like we can and focus on our goal, we’ll be OK.”
Jones was one of four Blue Devils to have multiple hits against Milan. She started and ended the scoring. Jones’ RBI single in the first inning gave Gaylord a 1-0 lead, and her two-run blast in the sixth capped the win.
“It’s all about my team, and I’m just glad I could do something for my team,” Jones said. “I knew I would get one eventually because my (at) bats before that were decent. Just getting my pitch and doing what I could with it to help my team get a few more runs on the board.”
Senior hurler Jayden Jones, who scattered six hits through seven innings and struck out four to earn the shutout win, also had two hits in the win that sent the Blue Devils to a rematch with Nivksburg.
“They know what we have,” Jayden Jones said of Vicksburg. “We know what they have. We just have to make sure we’re sharp and do the little things right.”
Jayden Jones was injured last year, so she did not get a chance to play in the state championship game.
“I just felt like I couldn’t contribute in any way,” she said. “Being out on the field, being able to do whatever I can for my team means a lot to me. I really wanted to be a part of it. I was obviously a part of it last year, but it’s definitely different being out in the field.”
Aubrey Jones, Jayden’s younger sister, is excited the sibling duo gets to play in the final games of the season.
“She was itching to get out there last year to get the chance,” Aubrey Jones said Thursday. “I’m super proud of her for coming out here and having that kind of performance today.”
Addison Wangler went 2-for-3, while Nora Bethuy registered two hits and scored two runs.
“No one trains like we do,” Aubrey Jones said. “We are very deliberate in our practice, and it shows up with the confidence we have at the plate because we know if we don’t do it then the person behind us will.”
Kennedy Wangler cleared the bases with a two-out double in the third inning, and Gaylord went ahead 4-0. The Blue Devils tacked on two more runs in the fourth.
“We said once we got past their pitcher the first time through we would start going after that,” Moeggenberg said. “It’s kind of the way it’s been, and not at any time was I nervous about what was going on in the beginning. I knew we would prevail.”
Timely hitting also has been a trademark of Gaylord throughout the season.
“We’ve done a lot of that this year with two outs,” Moeggenberg said. “I’m not surprised that the girls just stayed focused. Our approach with two outs is the same as no outs. We don’t put any pressure on ourselves.”
This was Milan’s second trip to the semifinals.
“Their defense was just phenomenal,” Milan head coach Kirk Davis said. “We didn’t get too many strong hits, and they were able to field everything. We have a good pitcher (Mariah Stines), and she usually is able to shut people down; but their offense is good and they hit a lot of balls in the gaps. It was tough.”
Vicksburg was motivated to get another opportunity to play for the Division 2 championship.
The No. 4 Bulldogs (37-7) will get another crack at the team that spoiled their title hopes a year ago. Gaylord won last year’s Division 2 final matchup, 8-3.
“We’ve worked all year for this,” Vicksburg senior pitcher Delaney Monroe said. “We said last year that we wanted to get back to this point, and now we are back here and it’s the best feeling in the world.
“It was a hard time last year with that loss, and having the opportunity to be back here against that team is even better — to have the opportunity to get them back.”
Vicksburg coach Paul Gephart didn’t want to use the word “revenge,” but he’s hopeful for a different outcome with eight returning starters from last year’s run.
“It’s a new year, it’s a new season and, obviously, it’s going to be a challenge,” he said. “They are extremely good, and they’ve been ranked No. 1 the entire year — and rightfully so. They’ve earned it, and they’ve deserved it until someone can upset them. Hopefully, we will be the ones to do it.”
Despite Vicksburg’s championship intentions, Moeggenberg isn’t too worried about Saturday’s title match.
“Nothing concerns me,” Moeggenberg said. “We’re ready to go. We’re ready for Saturday. And we’ll be ready to defend the title.”
Moeggenberg was an assistant last year before stepping into the head coaching role this season. He said the transition has been pretty smooth.
“The girls actually make it pretty easy,” he said. “When you come into a team like this, you’re pretty fortunate, right? That’s just been a blessing.”
A second straight state championship would be a blessing as well, and the Blue Devils are not taking anything for granted.
“It’s the last time we know for sure we’re all going to be together,” Aubrey Jones said. “Leave it all on the field and give it all we have — one more time.”
