Addison Kopp of Flat Rock delivers game-winning hit for Red in Monroe County All-Star Softball Game.
MONROE – Addison Kopp fell quickly into a hole.
A pair of strikes put her into an 0-2 hole.
But the recent Flat Rock graduate was not deterred.
She kept fouling off pitches until she found one that she liked and lined it into left-center field for the game-winning hit in the Monroe County All-Star Softball Game on Monday, July 7.
“What a great at-bat,” marveled Mickey Moody of Monroe High, who coached the Red to a 7-6 victory. “She got two strikes right away and fouled off pitches, fouled off pitches.”
The Red jumped out to a 6-0 lead through the first four innings before the Blue fought back with a six-run sixth.
The score remained tied 6-6 into the bottom of the eighth inning when Avery Leach of Monroe stroked her third hit of the game.
Leach stole second during Kopp’s epic at-bat, then scored easily on her double.
“She is such a nice kid,” Moody said of Kopp.
“She is such a great player,” said Bedford’s Aubrey Hensley. “I was excited to have her on my team.”
The feeling was mutual.
Hensley, who set a Region record with 52 career home runs, treated the fans to another round tripper in the fourth inning. She smashed a hard line drive that just kept going and cleared the fence in left-centerfield.
“I tried to put on a show, but I definitely wasn’t trying to hit one out,” Hensley said. “To do it on Monroe’s field in my last game was great.”
Hensley knew she hit the ball well, but didn’t think it was a homer.
“It was a line drive,” she said. “I was sprinting to first.”
Ida’s Chelsea Brancheau, who coached the Blue team, had no doubts.
“I knew it was out right away,” she said.
Hensley’s blast expanded the Red lead to 6-0. It came after a four-run third inning that featured hits by Maci Willey (Monroe), Nyah Mullins (Bedford), Leach and Lindsey Gennoe (Jefferson) along with a sacrifice fly by Kaylee Imo (Dundee).
Monroe pitcher Eloisa Reyes started and finished the game for the Red. She tossed five innings and did not give up a hit or a run.
The Red didn’t have a hit until the sixth inning when Lilly Billau of Whiteford poked a single to right field. Before the inning ended, the team had six hits and six runs.
The key blows were back-to-back doubles by Madi McCain of Ida and St. Mary Catholic Central’s Camryn Gee. McCain drove in a run and Gee two to tie the game.
Other hits in the inning came from SMCC teammates Callie Cousino and Tori Busen and Ida’s Jessica Schrader.
“The girls finally loosened up,” Brancheau said of the big inning. “It took us a couple of at-bats, but we got the ball out in front in that inning and started to loosen up.”
Hensley was impressed by the Blue comeback.
“That’s softball,” she said. “One inning can change the whole game.”
The Blue team kept the game close with great defense throughout the evening.
Brooklyn Mills (Whiteford), Abby Lechy (SMCC), Schrader and Cousino all came up with gems.
“Credit the Blue, they made some really nice plays defensively,” Moody said.
Many of the great defensive plays came from girls playing out of position.
“We didn’t have many outfielders, but we weren’t worried,” Brancheau said. “They are all athletes. … They all know the game. It’s fun in a game like this for the girls to play in spots they don’t normally play.”
Moody agreed.
“It’s softball IQ,” he said.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Kopp's walk-off hit lifts Red to win in Monroe County All-Star Softball
Category: General Sports
