Near No-Hitter 'Inspired' by Special Day for Hartland Softball (With Video)

On an afternoon in which the 1996 Hartland High School softball state championship team was honored, the current edition of the Eagles showed how they might have some of the same magic.

Star pitcher Abbie Minsker threw a near no-hitter on the way to a 8-1 win over Walled Lake Western to give Hartland an undefeated week for the third time this season. The team is now 18-3 on the year and rolling.

"I was trying not to think about it (no hitter) that gives you pressure,” Minsker said. “(But) I was really trying for it. My D has really been helping me out a lot lately. We played really well. We came in focused. The (1996) team being out there inspired us. We're trying to get that far. It was cool talking to them.”

Minkser struck out seven batters and had a no-hitter until Jill Hussin hit a blooper into left field after walking Sam Dennis in the sixth inning. Minkser battled right back, and struck out the next batter she faced before giving up the Warriors only run later in the inning.

“It got a little tense after she (Minkser) walked her (Dennis), she hung one out over the plate and she hit it well,” Gabrielson said.

With a game nearing the end and a goose egg under ‘H’ on the scoreboard, it’s a well-known tradition that you remain hush-hush about the possibility of the feat.

“We didn’t say anything to her. No hitters are great, but she has seven shutouts," Gabrielson said. "I’ll take a shutout over a no-hitter some days."

“She’ll get one, she’s a real leader out there.“

Walled Lake Western's run in the sixth was Minkser’s only earned run for the week.

But good pitching will only get you so far. You also need production at the plate. The Eagles had that — plenty of it. Hartland jumped out to an early 6-0 lead and batted around. Lindsey Pajot and Shelby Hard scored twice.

The Eagles went on a scoring drought for most of the game after that, with the final two runs being scored by Pajot and Hard in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Hartland hit five extra base hits in the contest, bringing their season total up to 63 — some 20 games in. The defense had no errors and has only 19 on the season, including none this week.

“We worked very hard in the off-season with a lot of workouts,” Gabrielson said. “Most of that was focused on hitting. The girls have bought into a good rotational hitting system. We’re bringing that bat all the way through the zone and getting good, long, hits.”

Hartland’s season continues 4 p.m. Monday with a doubleheader at Waterford Kettering.

Editor's note: For highlights of the pregame ceremony and snippets of a CD given to the former players from footage during the 1996 championship game and its aftermath, click on the video.

Download the movie