Dragons finish season 38-6

By Mark Snyder
Special to the Lake Orion Review
In the end, the comeback kids fell one short.
The Lake Orion High School softball team’s penchant for pulling out amazing wins throughout the MHSAA state playoffs concluded in the June 15 Division state title game as the Dragons fell 5-0 to Hudsonville.
The most successful season in program history — LOHS had never reached the state title game previously — finished with the Dragons (38-6) battling for all seven innings, despite little offensive success.
“We had a great season, played some really good teams — played a few really good teams to get here– and (our players) were ready to play, they really were, (but) things get sped up really quick once the first pitch is made,” LOHS coach Joe Woityra said. “After the first inning, we settled down. We just didn’t adjust to them throwing outside. Some days you’re the bug, some days you’re the windshield. Today, we were the bug.”
With the Dragons drawing the home advantage via coin flip and hitting second each inning, Hudsonville (42-0) got the first crack and took advantage.
A single and a stolen base, a walk, a long sacrifice fly and then a single up the middle created a rapid blitz. A few defensive indecisions by the Dragons and suddenly it was 2-0 Eagles. Before the Dragons even got to the plate, Hudsonville led 3-0.
In the bottom of the first, LOHS had its best chance to regain momentum. Grace Luby crushed a ball that skimmed just outside the left-field foul pole. It would be the Dragons’ best chance to score all game.
Hudsonville pitcher Ava Snip was masterful, allowing only one hit and three Dragon walks in seven innings.
With the early hole, the offensive struggles magnified the challenge.
Yet the Dragons embraced their identity and fought the whole game.
“We’ve been down a lot in these playoffs and we’ve battled back,” Woityra said. “It just didn’t happen today.”
After going undefeated in the OAA Red, the Dragons handled the districts, knocked off Utica Ford 5-0 in the regional opener but then needed the paddles repeatedly to stay alive.
A 5-4 heart-stopper in the regional final over Macomb Dakota, a 9-7 barnburner over White Lake Lakeland in the quarterfinal and the stunning 5-4 comeback upset of South Lyon in the state semifinal on June 13 made the Dragon fans believe it would just keep going.
Every time they needed a rally, it was there, until the title game.
“You’ve got to be good, you’ve got be lucky,” Woityra said. “There’s always luck involved. You hope the odd things don’t happen: a bad bounce, a bad call or whatever. What a special group. I’m going to miss the seniors immensely.”
That senior group — Madison Eckert, Ellie Britt, Anna Gardner, Sydney Bell, Alexis Hazen and Grace Luby — formed the core of the program as the Dragons took a further step each of the past few years, with the title game the pinnacle of Woityra’s 15-year tenure.
“It’s the greatest group that I’ve had,” Woityra said. “We’ve got some young girls that play really hard and are really good. And next year I expect us to be right back.
“We lose six, but we return seven of our original group. To go this far — as far as anybody’s gone in our program — it’s awesome. They’re going to remember that the rest of their lives.”