Hurons nip Vikings in district softball action

The Hurons and Vikings played a classic softball game Tuesday in Rogers City that looked very much like a state final game. The result, a 1-0 win, sends the Hurons into district play Saturday at home while the Vikings end a fine season at 26-7. After Huron starter Ashley Fleming set down the side in order in the top of the first inning, the Hurons scored the game?s only run. As she has so many times this season, the leadoff hitter, freshman second baseman Laura Konieczny, started off the game with a hit. She stroked a 1-1 pitch from Michelle Bednarski into right field.

Senior centerfielder Cassy Brege laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Konieczny to second. Bednarski nearly got out of the inning by striking out Fleming. But, with her sister on second, junior shortstop Jess Konieczny grounded Bednarski?s first pitch up the middle, scoring Laura. It would be the only two hits allowed by Bednarski, who struck out C. J. Calabrese to end the inning. Bednarski pitched very well, allowing just three runners the rest of the way. Two of those reached on errors, while Calabrese walked in the fourth inning. Laura Konieczny reached on an error in the third, but was cut down stealing on a perfect throw from Viking catcher Mary Calhoun to shortstop Shannon Ciarkowski.

POSEN THREATENED in the fourth inning when Ciarkowski drew a walk. With Courtney Romel batting, Ciarkowski stole second base and the throw went into centerfield. Ciarkowski popped up, raced for third and was waved home, only to be tagged out by Huron catcher Heather LaLonde on a close play. Romel struck out, then Bednarski walked, and Beth Julian beat out an infield hit. Fleming got out of the jam by striking out Amanda Pieczynski on three pitches. Katie Lewandowski singled to lead off the fifth inning, one of only two hits allowed by Fleming. Megan Latz sacrificed Lewandowski to second, and a passed ball allowed her to advance to third.

A popout to catcher and a fly out to centerfield killed the Viking rally. Fleming closed the doors on the Vikings? season by setting down the last nine batters, three of them on strikeouts. She struck out ten on the day in her battle against the Vikings and their senior ace, Michelle Bednarski.

?Michelle pitched probably her best game ever at Posen High School. She was on and she can hold her head high. She did a great job on the mound for us today,? said coach Glenn Budnick after speaking to his team. ?We just couldn?t get that run when we needed to.? The game came down to a pitching duel between two fine high school pitchers. Budnick had praise for each. ?You had two great pitchers on the mound limiting each team?s opportunities. They were able to get a run and we weren?t and that is what it came down to,? Budnick said.

THE LOSS ENDED a fine run for an outstanding team. ?I told the seniors to keep their heads held high because nobody will ever take the three straight league titles away from them. They were back-to-back district champions and won the school?s first-ever regional championship last year. That is their legacy at Posen. The bar has been raised for every other underclassman that comes through now,? Budnick said. Huron coach Karl Grambau?s team defended the home turf and ear

ned the right to play at home again on Saturday.

?It was a great ballgame and had the atmosphere of a game further along into the tournament,? said Huron coach Karl Grambau. ?Michelle Bednarski pitched a great game, keeping us off-balance.? Grambau praised the defensive efforts of LaLonde, on her tag of Ciarkowski in the fourth, throwing out a runner on a steal attempt, and fielding a bunt in the second. ?I?m so happy for our kids. We have battled together and been through so much as a team and I think we have really come together as a team. This was a big game but we?ll be ready to go Saturday,? Grambau said.

THE HURONS play Atlanta in the second game of the district tournament at approximately noon Saturday. The winner of that game plays the winner of the 10 a.m. game between Onaway and Hillman.

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