Baseball has such a rich history of more than a century that it offers special events never forgotten. One such event occurred almost 64 years ago, in the fall of 1951, when Bobby Thompson hit “The shot that was heard ‘round the world.”
Thompson’s three-run homer was a walkoff in the bottom of the ninth that enabled the New York Giants to win the pennant over the Brooklyn Dodgers in a feverish race to the bitter end.
The state champion Wayland softball team can boast of its own “shot heard ‘round the world,” a historical variation on the first shot fired in the American War of Independence. It occurred just a week ago at Hope College in the Division 2 regional finals.
The drama starred Wildcat senior shortstop Hailey Houk in the role of Bobby Thompson and cast Zeeland West pitcher Morgan Englesman in the unenviable role of Ralph Branca.
Setting the stage at the risk of harkening back to War of Independence lingo from Thomas Paine, “These were the times that tried men’s (and women’s) souls.” Wayland had been plagued by occasional problems offensively and had scored just one run in its district opening win over Middleville Thornapple Kellogg.
The ‘Cats did rebound to crush Hamilton in the district finals and Spring Lake in the regional semifinals. But here they were, back in the Twilight Zone, failing to score against Englesman, who shut them out April 18 in the Whitehall tournament finals.
Englesman tossed seven scoreless innings against Wayland in April and she had blanked them for six straight in the regional finals.
But senior second sacker C.J. Miller, later the offensive hero in the quarterfinal win over St. Joseph, broke up Englesman’s scoreless string by driving home a run in the seventh and final inning. Miller and a teammate were both on base and the ‘Cats were down 2-1. They were down to their last out, and I hear tell their last strike, when Houck, the cleanup hitter with a .400 batting average, smacked a fly ball into the gap in right center. Miller and her comrade scored and Houck herself raced home when the throw to third was wild.
Three days later, C.J. cracked a two-run homer for the only runs in a 2-0 victory over St. Joe. Then the Wildcat bats came alive in a pair of 11-0 triumphs in the semifinals and finals.
No one can argue that the Lady Wildcats rode the talented arm of Mallory Teunissen to the state championship. But she must be joined in the heroes’ circle by Hailey and C.J. Maybe somebody now will nickname Hailey Houck “Bobby.”
PHOTOS: (Courtesy Coralie Miller) This was the shot heard round the state, if not the world, off the bat of Hailey Houck.
Hailey Houck is flanked by WHS softball coach Cheri Ritz (left) and University of Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins.
