Three years on top of the conference standings
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
With an easy sweep last Thursday against Atlanta, head coach Glenn Budnick?s Posen softball team won a third straight North Star League (NSL) title. The Vikings shutout out the Huskies in both ends of the doubleheader, 15-0. They will share the title with Hillman, who has an identical league record of 13-1. The schools split their doubleheader in Posen earlier this month. The co-champs will meet in the district semifinal in Rogers City, June 5, at 10 a.m. The district draw was May 19.
Budnick, who is coaching for the 11th year, has won eight NSL league trophies. His league record during that time is 138-16. WITH ANOTHER trophy ready to go up on the mantel, the Vikings went into pretournament mode with some high-caliber clubs on the schedule. They played in the competitive Christi Hoesli Memorial Softball Tournament Saturday in Petoskey and were back home Tuesday hosting Traverse City St. Francis.
Coming up are games today at home with Whittemore-Prescott, tomorrow at Rogers City (softball only) and back home Tuesday against Alcona. St. Francis took a pair from the Vikings (23-6) Tuesday, 9-6 and 4-0. The Lady Glads took an early 5-0 lead in game one, before Posen came back to make it 5-3. Every time Posen would come back to make it close, St. Francis would answer with runs.
?Traverse City St. Francis puts pressure on you,? said Budnick. ?There was only one inning where they didn?t get the leadoff hitter on.? Leann Buczkowski was 2-for-3 (2 RBI), while LeAnn Strzelecki (RBI), Anna Couture (RBI) and Emily Delekta each had doubles. Lindsay Ponik (4 IN, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 W, 3 K?s) and Janice Ciarkowski (2 IN, 2 H, R, ER, W, K) shared the pitching duties. Posen had only four hits in game two. Strzelecki had two of them, including a triple in the final inning. ?Their pitcher did a good job of keeping us off balance and did a good job of mixing her pitches,? said Budnick.
Buczkowski got the start and her pitching line follows: 6 IN, 3 ER, W, 2 K?s. THE VIKINGS took third at Petoskey with wins over Charlevoix and Elk Rapids, and a loss against Coleman. There were six teams in the tournament. The Vikings were ahead 4-1 against Charlevoix in the tournament opener. The Rayders came back with three to tie the game in the fifth, but Posen countered with four in the bottom of the inning and went on to win, 8-5. Ciarkowski won the game in relief, coming in to pitch with the score knotted at four. She helped her own cause with a triple among her two hits. Ashley Meyers was 2-for-3.
The girls? lost in the next game to Coleman, 5-2. Budnick said four errors led to four of the five runs. It was 5-0 until Posen got two in the final inning. ?We were not disciplined at the plate and swung at pitches that might not have been strikes,? said Budnick. ?We put the ball in play and Coleman is the best defensive team we have faced all season.? The Vikings only struck out once in the game, and only three times combined in the tournament. Ponik took the loss (5 IN, 5 H, ER, 4 W, 6 K?s). Couture was 2-for-3, while Ciarkowski and Strzelecki had triples. Single runs in the first and fourth is all the Vikings needed in the finale, as Buczkowski (Butch) was solid on the mound (6 IN,
Butch scored in the first on a RBI single by Ponik. Three singles in the fourth by Ciarkowski, Couture and Paige Lewandowski set the table for a dropped fly ball to score Ciarkowski. ?Getting to play all three games at the Petoskey waterfront field was really nice and a great experience for our players,? said Budnick. LAST THURSDAY, Meyers tossed a perfect game in her first varsity start, going three innings and striking out three. Top hitters follow: Meyers 3-for-3 (3B, 2 RBI), Buczkowski 2-for-3 (3B, 4 RBI), Ponik 2-for-3 (3 RBI).
Delekta 2-for-3 (2 RBI), Judy Romel 2-for-2 (RBI) and Strzelecki 2-for-2 (RBI). Ciarkowski started and got the win in game two (3 IN, 2 H, 3 K?s). She also had three hits including a double, and knocked in four. Strzelecki had three hits and Cheryl Romel hit an inside-the-park homer.