Katy Howard's Game-Winning Hit Secures District Championship for Lansing Catholic Softball

LAINGSBURG — In a tense moment for the Lansing Catholic softball team, Katy Howard stepped up to the plate without a hit to her name. With the game tied at 1 in the Division 3 district final against Laingsburg, the senior knew she had to change that. With one out and the bases loaded, Howard delivered a crucial two-run single that propelled the No. 9-ranked Cougars to a 3-1 victory over their No. 8-ranked opponents.

"I just knew not getting a hit wasn't an option," Howard reflected after the game. "I had baserunners on base and my teammates kept giving me confidence all game. Being able to come through and do this for them - we have such a special group, and I'm just truly so blessed and so proud of everybody. This was truly a team win."

Before her decisive hit, Howard had struggled at the plate, going 0-for-3 in the semifinal against Bath and failing to record a hit in her earlier at-bats during the final. Lansing Catholic's coach, Amy Poljan, praised Howard for maintaining focus in that critical moment, saying, "We always say just have a goldfish mindset. Don't remember what you did before, and what's in front of you is the thing that's at task, and she just took that to heart. That was a huge hit. I was so happy for her."

In addition to Howard's heroics, Zoey Gruber also shone in the circle, striking out 12 batters against Laingsburg after an impressive 19 strikeouts in the previous semifinal. With this win, the Cougars avenged their loss to Laingsburg in the 2025 district finals and are now set to advance to the regional competition next week.

Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway and Bluesky @briancalloway.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Katy Howard lifts Lansing Catholic softball past Laingsburg.