BAY CITY, MI – A look at the high school sports scene in Bay County for March 24, 2026. Bay County coaches are asked to submit results, highlights and comments the night of each game by emailing lthomps2@mlive.com.
BASEBALL: GLENN AND BCC WAGE COLD WAR
It was a thriller and a chiller.
Welcome to high school baseball in March.
Despite less-than-ideal conditions, Bay City Central and John Glenn got in an early season twinbill that came with low degrees and high drama. After Glenn captured the opener 7-3, the neighboring rivals battled to a 1-1 draw in a nightcap halted by darkness after seven hard-fought innings.
Central plated its lone run in the top of the fifth on a bases loaded walk by Paulino Perez that scored Shoal Grischke. Glenn evened things in the bottom of the sixth on a bases loaded sacrifice by Blake Bach that brought home Cameron Burch.
Cam Wilber led Glenn with two hits while Central got five hits from five different sources.
Carter Bublitz fired five stellar innings with six strikeouts for Central, getting one scoreless inning of relief apiece from Sebastian McGill and Brady Rankey. Andrew Shufelt and Ryder Southern combined for the gem for Glenn.
Burch notched the Game 1 win for Glenn, allowing two hits and striking out five over four innings. Southern came on for the save. Brody Riedlinger rapped four hits while Burch had two hits and two RBIs.
The Bobcats led 7-0 after two innings before Aaron Kain and McGill combined to spin five innings of scoreless relief to give the Wolves a chance. Central got six hits from six batters but couldn’t muster a rally.
SOFTBALL: CENTRAL OPENS WITH SWEEP
Kate Hemingway ripped five hits with six RBIs, leading the charge for Bay City Central in 11-1 and 14-9 victories over Flint Kearsley in its season opener.
Hemingway rung up 14 strikeouts in the pitching circle in Game 1 and helped her own cause with two hits and three RBIs. Kallie Kaczmarek knocked two hits while Jorja Kiley and Bella Matthews each drove in two runs for Central, which plated six first-inning runs to quickly take control.
An eight-run first got things rolling in Game 2 and Hemingway was key with three hits and three RBIs. Kaczmarek stayed hot with two hits and three RBIs while Sirena Lewis added two hits and three RBIs. Matthews, Kelsey Ross and Taylor Jajo each drove in two runs to back Kiley, who struck out nine in the win.
Jajo drew six of Central’s 28 walks in the doubleheader.
SOFTBALL: GLENN TAKES IT OUTSIDE
Despite not getting in a single outdoor practice, John Glenn took the field for its season opener, coming up short in an 11-10 hitting duel with Reese.
Glenn led the nightcap 12-8 through three inning before the game was halted.
“Once again, our lineup is deadly, as the scoreboard reflects,” Glenn coach John Busch said. “We did very well for not getting outside until today.”
The opener rocked back and forth as Glenn rallied for a 7-6 lead in the fourth only to see Reese go on top 11-7 through five. The Bobcats battled back in their final swings, scoring three runs before stranding the tying runner on third base.
Hadley Keister and Joslyn Zielinski each roped three hits for Glenn while Eliana Wilkinson, Stella Busch and Drue Busch each added two hits. Grace Hall bombed a home run and a double for four RBIs for Reese.
Glenn got three hits and four RBIs from Drue Busch in the partial game while Zielinski, Wilkinson and Lexi Rubis tallied two hits apiece.
TENNIS: WESTERN WORKS FOR TIE
Bay City Western launched its girls tennis campaign at the Midland Tennis Center, battling Flushing to a 4-4 draw.
Freshman Addy Zanotti won her debut at No. 1 singles while the Warriors added doubles victories from No. 2 Miley Reder and Addy Smith, No. 3 Joselyn Gay and Ashtyn Pero, and No. 4 Emilee Vue and Berkley Reder.
“It was a nice start for the Warriors,” Western coach Mike Rohde said. “We had eight girls playing their first varsity match, so it was nice to get their first match under their belts.”
Bay County prep roundup: Cold can’t diminish early season diamond drama
