Young Vikings capture second straight league title

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

The 2009 Viking softball team may be young, with half of its roster consisting of freshmen and eighth-graders, but they are old enough to know that winning North Star League titles is the way things are done in Posen. With dominating sweeps of Mio (15-0, 15-0) and Atlanta (17-1, 15-0) last week, the program captured its second league championship in as many years and their seventh in eight years.

The Vikings won 13 of 14 contests; with the only loss coming against the team they face Saturday in the district tournament. It also will be back to the scene of the crime, Hillman?s home diamond. The game is the first softball contest of the day at 10 a.m. ?It is great to win another North Star League title,? said head coach Glenn Budnick. ?It?s a reward for the hard work that they?ve put in all year. That started back in the middle of March. That was their first goal on all of their goal sheets.

?We?ve got one done, obviously the second one is to go in and have a successful district tournament. Now they?ll go after their second goal of the season.? Tuesday was the girls first practice in four days and the coach said ?it was a good practice. They are all business.? Posen?s overall record is 30-5. They are seventh in the Division IV, Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association rankings. THE VIKES earned sole possession of first with their wins at Atlanta. They scored four in the first, nine in the second and four again in the fifth.

Lindsey Ponik struck out 10 batters in game one and allowed only two walks and no earned runs. LeAnn Strzelecki pitched the final inning and recorded one strikeout. Ponik was 2-for-4 (3 RBI), Anna Couture was 2-for-2 (RBI), Leanne Buczkowski ripped an inside the park homer and Judy Romel was 2-for-2 (RBI).

The Vikings had 12 team hits by nine different players. Posen piled on 14 runs in the final three innings of game two against the winless Huskies. Janice Ciarkowski tossed the first three innings, giving up on

e hit, one walk, while striking out two. Buczkowski pitched the final inning. Cheryl Romel was 3-for-3 in the nightcap with a double, triple and four RBI. Strzelecki was 2-for-2 (2 RBI) and Christina Bednarski was 2-for-4 (3 RBI). LAST WEDNESDAY, Posen was the recipient of 11 walks against Mio. The girls also used the big inning against their host, scoring five in the third inning and 10 in the fourth. Ponik (4 W, 6 K?s) shut down Mio, tossing no-hit ball through four. The only Posen hits came from Ponik, who was 3-for-4 (2b, 3B, 3 RBI), Judy Romel with a two-RBI single and Bednarski with a single and a RBI.

Ciarkowski went to the mound and almost duplicated Ponik?s first game performance. Ciarkowski also limited Mio to one hit. She gave up only one walk and struck out four. Buczkowski was 3-for-3 (3B, 2 RBI), while Bednarski went 2-for-3 (2B). Ciarkowski helped her own cause with and two-run inside the park homer. Against Mio, Bednarski entered the Michigan High School Athletic Association record books by drawing her 40th walk on the season. She ended up walking once against Atlanta for No. 41. Against Atlanta, Cheryl joined Christina with her 40th walk of the season. The record is 58, but 40 should put them on the record board.

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