Cass City Jr./Sr. High School has been disqualified from the Michigan state softball playoffs because it played too many games.
As reported by the Huron Daily Tribune, the team went 31-8 this season, though the Michigan High School Athletic Association caps seasons at 38 games. A May 7 game against Croswell-Lexington that was part of a doubleheader, continued into the sixth inning, making it a regulation game, Cass City athletic director Justin Ketterer said in a letter to the community Friday. The Red Hawks were scheduled to play the Bad Axe Hatchets in the District 92 semifinals on Saturday morning.
The news ends a nearly two-year wait for a chance at a state championship, and is particularly crushing for members of the softball team who also played varsity basketball this past winter. The Red Hawks girls' varsity basketball team was forced to withdraw from the postseason due to COVID-19 exposure rules.
Amy Cuthrell, whose daughter Saylar was a member of both teams, said Friday’s news was a tough blow for Saylar, a sophomore, but for the seniors on the softball team, it’s especially difficult. “It’s just devastating,” she said.