Late inning pushes up Viking winning streak to 10

Late inning runs up winning streak to 10 The Posen softball team continued its winning ways, sweeping Alcona Tuesday, using late inning surges to pull ahead of the Tigers. The Vikings (17-1, 8-0) had a perfect week, with sweeps of Alcona (2-1 and 3-2) and Fairview, plus a tournament trophy at Mackinaw City with victories against Harbor Springs and ninth-ranked Mackinaw City.

Posen has won 10 in a row, besting the previous winning streak of seven. The only loss this season came in the second game of a doubleheader at Oscoda. The highly-anticipated games against Arenac Eastern will have to wait until May 25 after the rainout of last Thursday?s doubleheader. Fans are advised to cross off the Onaway twin-bill scheduled for May 25 and pencil it in for May 26. In its place put the games at Arenac. There?s plenty of excitement between now and then with a pair at Rogers City today, if rain doesn?t cancel the games at the Gilpin Memorial sports complex, and then the Vikings are back at home Saturday for the Posen Invitational.

The girls host Mackinaw City, Harbor Light, and Ellsworth. The players will be able to sleep in some and play in the second game. The tounament starts at 10 a.m.

AGAINST ALCONA, is a Division III honorable mention in the coaches? polls, the Division IV fourth-ranked Vikings did what they had to when they needed to. A solid pitching performance from Michelle Bednarski in game one, backed by steady gloves behind her, kept the girls in the game. Alcona pushed one run across the plate in the first inning and the score would remain 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning. The Posen bats then came to life. Three straight singles from Mary Calhoun, Shannon Ciarkowski and Courtney Romel, who knocked in Calhoun, tied the game at one.

With Shannon on third, Bednarski came up to the plate with a walk-off, game-winning bunt single. Alcona?s Alisha Hanner was pitching a gem until the final inning, throwing a no-hitter through five complete innings. She gave up four hits, all in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bednarski struck out six and allowed no walks, while allowing four hits. In the second game, the Tigers again scored the first run of the game in the first inning, but this time Posen wasted little time in countering with two. Alcona came back with one in the second inning and the score stayed tied at two until the Viking bats came to life again. When would that be? Oh, when they were needed — in the bottom of the fifth inning.

WITH NOBODY out, Dorothy Romel led off the inning with a base hit, which provided just the spark needed. Calhoun replaced her on the bases and the Vikes proceeded to load the bases for Roxann Hincka who came up with an infield hit, scoring Calhoun from third. Ciarkowski was thrown out at the plate on a fielder?s choice from Danielle Smolinski, but Posen had the runs needed and went on to set down the side in the top of the sixth. Ciarkowski started and pitched superbly, striking out five and allowing two hits through six full innings. The Vikings had 31 hits in nine innings in the sweep at Fairview Monday, and 10 in 12 innings against Alcona. The competition was a lot better and Alcona coach Terry Franklin

said it was the best defensive performance of the season for his squad. Coach Glenn Budnick said it all was a matter of timely hitting. ?They finally concentrated,? he said of his batters. Posen chalked up a pair of shutouts at Fairview, 16-0 and 13-0, to improve its North Star League to 8-0. Bednarski and Ciarkowski combined for 19 strikeouts. Courtney Romel and Smolinski were three-for-three in game one, while Beth Julian, Calhoun and Ciarkowski had two hits each.

Bednarski was four-for-four in game two with two triples. Jenny Ciarkowski, Katie Lewandowski, Shannon Ciarkowski, and Smolinski had two hits.

AT THE Mackinaw City tournament, Shannon Ciarkowski tossed a no hitter in a 13-2 win over Harbor Springs. Bednarski was three-for-four with an inside-the-park homer. She knocked in four. Brittany Romel was two-for-three. In the tournament championship game against the host school, Posen broke a two-all tie with four runs in the fifth inning. The big blow came from Julian, who hit a two-run, inside-the-park homer. The ball rolled to the fence 300 feet out, giving Beth a chance to round the bases. The Comets rallied but had the tying run gunned out at the plate by Shannon Ciarkowski, giving the Vikings their first tournament title this season. They would love to make it two on Saturday. Bednarski got the win against Mackinaw City, striking out 10, allowing six hits and walking none.