Cardinals end Hurons’ season in district semifinals

by Richard Lamb– Advance Editor

Both teams had their chances but Onaway outlasted Rogers City to claim an exciting 4-0 win in 11 innings in the district semifinal game. The Cardinals ended up winning the district championship over Posen (see related story) to move on to the regionals. It completed a triple crown of sorts for the Cardinal girls, as they won the district basketball title in the fall, the district volleyball title in the winter, and now the district softball title. On Saturday, playing in perfect conditions for ball at the beautiful softball diamond at Gilpin Field in Rogers City, in the first game of the day, both the Huron and Cardinal pitchers gave it their all, as their teams were scoreless for the first 10 innings. Huron junior Chelsey Plume, in her first year of varsity softball, and Cardinal senior Tarci Amyotte, in her fourth year of varsity, dueled virtually pitch-for-pitch through the first 10 innings.

Each had overpowering stuff most times, and each benefited from some excellent defense on their behalf. ?Both pitchers pitched really well. We had more chances than they did to score, we just couldn?t get that run. And couldn?t we get that hit when we needed it,? said Huron coach Karl Grambau. AMYOTTE WORKED three perfect innings, striking out three, before Huron junior third baseman Moni Cercone doubled to center to lead off the fourth inning. She stole third, and then held there as Katie Tulgestke was safe on a fielder?s choice. Tulgestke stole second, setting up a great scoring chance for the Hurons. But Amyotte struck out Dana Fairbanks and Laura Konieczny and got Chelsie Brege to ground out, mowing through the Hurons 3-4-5 hitters to keep the game scoreless. Plume faced just one over the minimum through the first three innings, striking out four while allowing only a single to Card senior catcher Serena Green in the third inning. After Green stole second and third, Plume struck out the next two hitters to strand the runner. In the Cardinal fourth inning, the Hurons dodged a huge threat, thanks to a great defensive play. Brege threw out Danielle Chapman at home after Amanda Pomranke had singled to right. Brege, who had been moved to the outfield this season after playing shortstop last year, scooped up the ball and delivered a strike to Fairbanks in plenty of time to get the third out. Plume struck out Green and Christine Pomranke to open the fifth inning then walked Ashley Bishop. She struck out Christy Kowalski to end the inning. In the Huron fifth, with one out Jenny Fleming reached second on a two-base error, but was left as Plume flew out to right and Heather Kowalski struck out. Plume worked a quick sixth inning getting the Cards 1-2-3 on three fly balls.

WITH THEIR FIRST of six chances to win the game in their last at bat, the Hurons threatened in the sixth inning. Tulgestke drilled a one-out single up the middle and stole second. She had two of the Hurons? four hits. With the potential winning run on second base, Amyotte faced Fairbanks, the Hurons? number three hitter in the lineup. Fairbanks worked the count to 3 and 2, and then fouled off six pitches before striking out. Then Konieczny popped out to end the inning. Now into extra innings, the Cards had runners on second and third, courtesy of a hit batter, a single and a passed ball, but Plume struck out Bishop for the third out in the top of the seventh.

In the Hurons? half of the inning, again the host team had the potential winning run on second base, after Fleming singled and then moved to second when Plume reached base on an error. But the threat ended when Amyotte struck out Kowalski. A pair of two-out walks were wasted in the Cardinal eighth when Plume struck out Bridget Bednark with two runners on board. In the Huron eighth, Tulgestke, a freshman shortstop brought up from JV late in the season, ripped the first pitch she saw into centerfield for a single. But that is where she stayed as both Fairbanks and Koniecnzy flied out.

A LEAD-OFF walk to Amanda Pomranke, who reached base three times with a walk and two singles, was all the Cards could manage in their half of the ninth inning. The Hurons went 1-2-3 in the ninth and again in the tenth innings. In the Cardinal tenth, a terrific play by Heather Kowalski at second base, tagging the runner going by and firing to first for the double play, nixed a potential rally. Rogers City went down in their half of the tenth without scoring setting up the deciding inning. Plume had gone 10 innings allowing just three hits and six walks. She got great defensive plays when needed or a timely strikeout to kill rallies. Her dominan

ce ended in the top half of the Cardinal eleventh. When Chapman and Bednark blasted back-to-back triples then Pomranke singled in Bednark, Plume?s day was over. Grambau replaced Plume with Elly Plath who got the side out, but only after two more runs had scored. ?We had Elly warmed up when Chelsey got around 100 pitches. That is a lot for Chelsey. But then Chelsey always seemed to work her way out of trouble,? Grambau said. ?Chelsey pitched a great game. Chelsey and Elly are both great pitchers and they are both juniors and they will both be back,? Grambau said. ?It was a warm day and she had really good stuff.?

ROGERS CITY GOT two runners on with two out in the bottom of the eleventh, but Fairbanks was cut down trying to gain third, after Brege had flied out to right, to end the game. Amyotte shut out the Hurons on just four hits, striking out eight while walking only one. Tulgestke had two hits, while Cercone and Fleming had one each. The Cardinal right-hander limited the rest of the Hurons to 0-for-26 on the day, ending the Hurons? day, and season, on their home field.

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