Battle Creek - "Believe."

 

   It has been the motto of the Tecumseh Indians all season. The word was written on the arm of each of the players during the playoffs.

 

   Trailing by two runs and down to their last out in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 championship game June 14 at Bailey Park against Wyoming Rogers, the Indians never stopped believing.

 

   Senior catcher Stayci Cook blasted a two-run double to center field to tie the score at 3-3 and send the game to extra innings. Two innings later, senior Nikki Hughes' single scored senior Chelsea Gonzalez to give the Indians a 4-3 win and their second straight state championship.

 

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   "All year we've been saying 'we believe,'" Hughes said. "That has been our team slogan. We really wanted that second state championship."

 

   Gonzalez led off the ninth with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Melissa Felkey. After an intentional walk to University of Michigan-bound Jackie Barley, Hughes hit a ball that found a hole in shallow center field to bring Gonzalez home for the game-winner.

 

   Tecumseh Head Coach Kristalyn Smith said she had complete faith in her team. "I truly did not doubt that team the entire game," said Smith. "It was just a matter of time before one of our hits got through and was able to score some runners. I didn't give up on them and I know that they didn't give up on themselves, either."

 

   The win marks the fourth state title for Smith. She has won two in her four years as a coach, and two as a player at Portage Northern in volleyball and softball.

 

   Sophomore Catie Kaliszuk got the win on the mound, striking out seven over the nine innings.

 

   The Indians were down 3-0 going into the bottom of the sixth before starting their comeback. Cook opened with a single up the middle. Senior Danielle Prill ran for Cook and moved to third base on back-to-back groundouts. Senior Whitney Hastings then drove in Prill with a double to left field.

 

   It was Hastings' third state championship. She was the winning pitcher in Tecumseh's 2007 win over Comstock Park and tossed a 206 in the final game to lead the Indians to a Division 2 bowling title earlier in the school year.

 

   The Tecumseh seniors were clutch during the game, contributing nine of the team's 10 hits and driving in all four runs.

 

   "I think this one (state championship) is more special because we have more girls that just played their last game in a Tecumseh uniform," Smith said. "This is how they wanted to go out. ... We could not have won without the seniors today. Before the seventh inning, Stayci (Cook) said the seniors were going to come through and win the game. And they did it."

 

   Hughes and Cook both had three hits and Barley had two on the day. Hughes will be a dual-sport athlete at Siena Heights, playing volleyball and softball. Cook is going to play for Division I Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Gonzalez will play basketball for the Siena Heights. Hastings plans on bowling for Adrian College.

 

   Winning the state championship for the second year had even more meaning for two of those seniors (Gonzalez and Hastings), whose fathers both died during their Tecumseh softball careers.

 

   Gonzalez lost her father, Louie, during her freshman year. Hastings' father, Robert, died early this spring.

 

   "Especially with Whitney's dad passing away this year and my dad passing away my freshman year, the team promised us they would win a championship for our dads," Gonzalez said. "And that is what happened."

 

   "We have been playing together since we were nine," Hastings added. "This was our last game together. We wanted to win it for our dads."

 

   Tecumseh beat Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 2-1 in the semifinals on June 13. Junior second baseman Bailey Brooks knocked both runs and Kaliszuk tossed a complete game, scattering four hits and striking out seven in the win. Tecumseh outscored its opponents 51-5 during the state tournament.

 

   The Indians finished the year 37-8. Wyoming Rogers ended 36-6-1. Rogers was Division 2 champion in 2005, 2001, and 1999.