Evart makes school history claiming first ever state championship

EAST LANSING - The Evart Wildcats claimed the school’s first ever team-sport state championship beating Ottawa Lake Whiteford 1-0. The Wildcats only needed one hit to claim the school’s first ever state title and it came courtesy of Mattisen Tiedt in the bottom of the 6th inning. Tiedt hit a single to right field that brought in Allyson Theunick for the game’s only run.

Sophomore Kyrah Gray put on a clinic pitching 7 scoreless innings and striking out 12 batters in the win.

Mattisen Tiedt says that as soon as the ball hit the ground, she knew they were destined for the trophy.

“I went up there with the mindset that I have to go right field. She’s not going to give me anything down the middle because I’m four hole, so I have to go that right field. So as soon as that pitch came, it looked good. So I stepped right towards it, kept it straight, and I went to right field, as soon as it hit, all I thought in my head was, that’s game. Like as soon as I hit the ground, I was like, we won no doubt about it.” Said Tiedt.

Evart head coach Shaun Gray was taking charge of the Wildcats for the first time this year and came away with a trophy at the end of it.

“Coach Bennett, this is for you, buddy. So, I want to say that first, well yea one nothing. We thought we would try to sneak attack on to em and let em shut us down for most of the game and throw one at em at the end and hold him with our defense. No, no it was a nail biter, we just pulled it off. We won ugly like the plenty of times we have in the past.” Gray Said.