Cardinals set state record, win fifth straight district title
by Angie Asam, Staff Writer
The Onaway Cardinals softball team hit five home runs in the district final game against Rogers City to win their fifth straight district title Saturday. The five home run performance sets a new state record.
?Five in a row shows that Onaway does know how to play softball and people have started to respect our program. The girls work hard, the coaches work hard and the hard work is playing off,? said coach Jodi Brewbaker
After the Hurons took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning the Cardinals came firing back in the bottom of the first when Megan Estep hit a single to centerfield. Emily Estep then stepped to the plate and Megan Estep was out at second on the fielder?s choice. Molly Cleaver then stepped to the plate and ripped a single to left field that got under the glove of the defender, scoring Emily Estep to tie the score.
The score remained 1-1 until the bottom of the second when Temara Lupu hit a homerun to right center field to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the fourth Sam Brasseur added another run for Onaway as she ripped a home run to left center to make the score 3-1.
With the Hurons having at least one base runner in every inning coach Brewbaker was not yet comfortable with the two run lead when her team exploded for four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the score 7-1. Before the inning started coach Brewbaker thought to herself about using the small ball, the bunting game. ?These girls are power hitters, there are times you use the small ball and there is times you don?t. With Onaway we don?t use it as much,? said coach Brewbaker.
Megan Estep led off with a single and scored as her sister Emily Estep stepped up and hit a home run over the left field fence. Cleaver then completed the back-to-back with a home run of her own over the right center fence to make the score 6-1. One batter later Lupu hit her second of the game over the left field fence to make the score 7-1. The Hurons were unable to answer, as the Cardinals cruised to their fifth straight district title.
?I expected a few (home runs) but not as many as what we had. We really in practice yesterday did an hour of nothing but hitting drills with the girls. Working on seeing the ball, and hitting the ball. We talked about focus and it showed, we hit the ball well,? said coach Brewbaker
Emily Estep earned the win on the mound going seven innings, allowing one run on eleven hits while striking out six and walking none. Lupu was 2-for-3 in the game with two home runs, two RBI and two runs scored. Emily Estep had a homerun, two RBI and two runs scored. Megan Estep was 2-for-3 with a run scored while Cleaver was 2-for-3 with a homerun, two RBI and a run scored. Brasseur had a homerun, an RBI and a run scored.
Brewbaker felt the game, even though the final score doesn?t reflect it, was a close game as she was concerned with keeping her team focused on the district title. Knowing they have a target on their backs as teams want to unseat them from their reign over the district title, the girls responded as they used the long ball to put the game away. THE CARDINALS advanced to the district fi
Onaway scored early and scored often as Brooke Szymoniak led off the bottom of the first with a single followed by a Megan Estep double. Emily Estep then doubled down the line to score both Szymoniak and Megan Estep. Cleaver then stepped to the plate and crushed a ball over the centerfield fence to give the Cardinals an early 4-0 lead. Adding one in the second, four in the third and two in the fourth the Cardinals cruised to the 11-0 win.
Emily Estep was 2-for-2 with three RBI while Megan Estep was 2-for-3. Cleaver was 1-for-1 with a homerun and two RBI. Lupu was 3-for-3 with three singles. Szymoniak, Erika Price and Faith Chapman each had a single and an RBI in the win. SATURDAY THE Cardinals will be in Pellston for regionals where they will take on Rapid River at noon, with the winner playing the Rudyard/Hillman winner for the regional title.