PHOTOGRAPHY BY MALLORY JONES
From her vantage point in left field, anticipation was building within Ayannah Jackson. Grand Blanc-based District 4 was one out away from becoming the first Michigan team to capture consecutive Senior League Softball World Series championships in the tournament’s 50-year history.
As she watched a routine fly ball ding off the bat of a Delaware hitter, Jackson knew it was the final play of another dominant run. “As soon as that ball was hit, I started immediately bawling my eyes out,” said the Goodrich High School senior and one of District 4’s five first-team All-State players. “We are like best friends and so comfortable with each other, which makes moments like winning another World Series so special.”
Winning the World Series again was amazing after the way all the first-year girls combined so well with those of us who came back after winning it all last year.”
— Starting pitcher Addie Taylor
Right fielder Reagen Allen (Clarkston) snared the final out of a 6-4 victory before holding the ball momentarily, then tossing it to the ground with such force that it rolled into the infield and past the pitcher’s mound. Allen and second baseman Aubrey Kresbaugh (Walled Lake Northern), also a first-team All-Stater, then raced to join their teammates celebrating near the mound.
A year ago, Jackson bolted from the outfield to the group celebration after District 4 shut out Delaware in the title game. This time, she paused. There was someone she wanted to embrace first. “What made winning (the World Series) extra special this time was having my sister (Makenzie) on the team,” she said. “I had to hug her first.”
Starting pitcher Addie Taylor (Clio) and catcher Ady Freeman (Owosso) also joined the celebration after sharing an emotional embrace near home plate. Taylor emerged from the dugout following a gutsy, five-inning pitching performance while battling shoulder tightness and recovering from a recent sinus infection.
Makeena Kresbaugh (Walled Lake Northern) took over in the sixth and seventh innings, preserving the championship.
“Winning the World Series again was amazing after the way all the first-year girls combined so well with those of us who came back after winning it all last year,” said Taylor, an honorable mention All-Stater. “It was going to be pretty hard to lose with the team and coaching staff we have.”
That staff includes head coach Zach Orr and assistants Dan Proffer, Gerald Collins and Olivia Bainbridge. As his team basked in the euphoria of another title, Orr walked along the first-base line, marveling at everything the program had accomplished in just three years.
“I started to become choked up as I thought about how we built this team from scratch and here we are, repeating as World Series champions,” he said. “I was so happy for every one of the girls to see them succeed like this, but, at the same time, it was tough to realize that this is it for many of the players in this age group.”
District 4 broke the championship game open in the second inning as Makenna Kresbaugh smacked a three-run home run over the center-field fence. Ayannah Jackson then walked before Freeman belted a two-run shot over the right-field fence for a 5-0 advantage. Jackson’s solo homer to right in the fourth extended the lead to 6-0.
Collectively, pitchers Taylor, Makenna Kresbaugh, a first-team All-Stater who has committed to Saginaw Valley State, and Danielle Golen (Fenton) struck out 40 batters while allowing only 22 walks in 42 innings.
Meanwhile, Taylor kept host Delaware at bay despite shoulder cramping and tightening that affected her control and velocity. Delaware ended Taylor’s shutout bid with a run in the fifth before narrowing the gap in the sixth with a two-run homer.
From Left: Adysen Freeman, Harper Lowe, Hannah Johnson and Makenna Kresbaugh celebrate the world series title.
Taylor agreed to end her day after giving up a walk and double to the next two batters. She surrendered only three hits while striking out six. “My shoulder was really bothering me and I was a little out of it because of the sinus infection, but all I needed to do was keep their hitters off balance and some of the best players in Michigan around me were going to do the rest,” Taylor said. “In that sixth inning, though, my arm was really locking up, and I knew I was done. It would be selfish to keep going and Makenna was ready to finish it off.”
Delaware added a sacrifice fly before the sixth ended to pull within 6-4 but scored no more. Kresbaugh, a first-team All-Stater, retired five of the final six batters she faced.
“Delaware is a talented team playing in front of their home crowd, so we needed to be patient when selecting pitches to hit, and it was important to take an early lead to quiet their crowd,” Orr said. “Fortunately, we had a great amount of support from the many people from Michigan who made the trip.”
In the semifinals, District 4 outlasted Asia-Pacific, 1-0, its closest margin of victory in any World Series game the past two years. District 4 scored the only run it needed in the third inning as Ella Stevenson (Grand Blanc) walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Alaina Trotter (Grand Blanc). Alisyn Raether (Goodrich) then hit a seemingly harmless pop fly to left field that was dropped, allowing her to reach second and Stevenson to advance to third.
Ella Stevenson on base
Allen then hustled to first after laying down a bunt, loading the bases. Two batters later, Freeman drew a walk after an 11-pitch at-bat, forcing Stevenson across the plate.
“Their pitcher was very good at mixing up her pitches and not being predictable,” Orr said. “We kind of reverted to playing small ball combined with outstanding pitching and defense.”
Taylor allowed just two hits while striking out five over seven innings.
“The semifinal was such a fun game that really showed how important taking care of the little things is,” Taylor said. “We stayed completely locked down on defense and they made the one crucial error that we didn’t.”
Overall, dominant District 4 won its seven World Series games by a combined 64-11 margin and racked up 70 hits, including 13 home runs, 13 doubles and a triple.
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- Kate Mitchell at the plate
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- Danielle Golen pitching during an earlier game.
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- Ella Stevenson at the plate
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- Reagan Allen at the plate
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- Ayannah Jackson at the plate
Ayannah Jackson posted the tournament’s highest slugging percentage (1.333) and on-base percentage (2.015) and tied for first in homers (three) and hits (11). She was second in batting average (.611) and tied for second with four doubles.
Freeman, a first-team All-Stater who has committed to Western Michigan, was second in slugging percentage (.944), third in on-base percentage (1.528) and fourth in RBIs (eight). Freeman and Trotter, also a first-team All-Stater, both smacked a pair of home runs.
“I call Ayannah and Ady the psycho sisters with the way they pound the ball,” Orr said. “Both are electrifying players.”
We walked into the stadium with the confidence of being defending champions, so other teams knew it wasn’t going to be easy to take our title away.”
— Starting pitcher Addie Taylor
Raether finished second in on-base average (.692), third in batting average (.600) and fourth in on-base percentage (1.392), while Stevenson was fifth in slugging percentage (.818).
Addison Taylor pitches during semifinal win over Asia-Pacific
Collectively, pitchers Taylor, Makenna Kresbaugh, a first-team All-Stater who has committed to Saginaw Valley State, and Danielle Golen (Fenton) struck out 40 batters while allowing only 22 walks in 42 innings.
Taylor finished tied for second in wins (three), third in strikeouts (24 in 23 innings) and fourth in earned run average (1.52). Kresbaugh was second in ERA (0.44).
Other members of District 4 were Hannah Johnson (Grand Blanc), an honorable mention All-Stater who has committed to Saginaw Valley, Kate Mitchell (Grand Blanc), Harper Lowe (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s), Kaitlyn Brennan (Hartland) and Sammi Wright (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s).
Head coach Zach Orr and Samantha Wright cover their mouths while talking strategy.
The 16-player roster was assembled during tryouts in late May that drew 47 prospects. Newcomers joined returnees Taylor, Johnson, Mitchell, Freeman, Ayannah Jackson, Stevenson and Raether. Michigan High School Athletic Association rules prohibit players from joining all-star squads like District 4 until after their high school season ends, allowing just three practices and a scrimmage before the state and regional tournaments.
That hardly mattered. District 4 went 7-0 in those games, outscored opponents 90-7 and continued to bond.
“Our group of returning girls really opened up to the new girls, which made everybody more comfortable and we all clicked together,” Jackson said.
“During the World Series, my teammates became like sisters, and they mean the world to me,” Taylor said. “We walked into the stadium with the confidence of being defending champions, so other teams knew it wasn’t going to be easy to take our title away.”
District 4 players celebrate repeating as Senior League Softball World Series Champions.
On Aug. 20, the community celebrated District 4’s triumph at Bicentennial Park in Grand Blanc as team members signed softballs for dozens of younger Little Leaguers who had watched them on ESPN.
The event marked the final time Ayannah Jackson, Taylor, Trotter, Raether, Stevenson, Johnson, Brennan, Mitchell, Freeman and Makenna Kresbaugh would wear a District 4 uniform. Jackson, Stevenson, Johnson and Mitchell all concluded three-year runs with the team.
District 4 celebrates semifinal win over Asia-Pacific.
It was also Orr’s last function as District 4 coach. He is stepping away to be more present for his 5-year-old son’s T-ball career but will remain with Grand Blanc Little League in a governing capacity.
“I always preach the importance of family, but have been missing too many of my son’s games,” he said. “It was absolutely awesome how the community came out to celebrate us and seeing the players embrace being role models and interact so well with the younger players who look up to them was special.”
Jackson, Taylor and Mitchell will be teammates once more at Wayne State University, beginning in the spring of 2028.
Makenna Kresbaugh, right, is greeted at home plate after hitting a home run in the championship game
“It’s a little hard knowing that my time with this team is over because I’m really going to miss all the girls I played with and our coaching staff,” Jackson said. “We’ll all stay very close, and it will be great watching everybody grow and do great things in the future.”
