Cardinal/Huron district softball clash set for Saturday in RC
The Onaway High School softball team, fresh off clinching its eighth straight Ski Valley Conference championship, will put its season on the line Saturday when it plays in the district tournament at Rogers City.
The Cardinals will play the host Hurons at noon in a district semifinal, with the winner of that game facing the winner of the day’s earlier semi, between Harbor Light and Inland Lakes, in the district championship at 2 p.m.
Rogers City is ranked third in the latest Class D softball poll, while Onaway is ranked sixth. The teams have played three times this season with the Hurons winning three close games.
Rogers City also knocked Onaway out of last year’s postseason tournament, with a walk-off win in the district championship. The Cardinals will be looking for revenge Saturday.
OHS comes into the postseason having won eight games in a row, including a doubleheader sweep Wednesday of visiting Pellston. The Cards won 6-0 and 11-1, to finish 15-1 in the SVC. Onaway is 17-6 overall.
Emily Estep allowed three hits, walked none, and fanned 10 in the opener. Onaway made no errors and had 12 hits, three of them (including a double) by Erika Price.
Sam Brasseur went 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, and an RBI, Lexi Szymoniak went 2-for-2 with two RBI, and Emily Estep went 3-for-3.
Emily Estep allowed a run on two hits, walking two and fanning four in five mercy-rule-shortened innings in the nightcap. The Cards made just one error and had 14 hits.
Jade Galer was 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, and four RBI, Devin Bristley went 2-for-2, and Temara Lupu, Megan Estep, and Emily Estep all went 2-for-4, with Lupu driving in a pair of runs.
Last Friday, the Cardinals swept a twinbill from visiting Inland Lakes, winning 12-0 and 11-3. Game one was scoreless until Onaway scored six runs in the third, adding six more in the fourth for good measure.
Emily Estep got the win, allowing one hit, walking one, and fanning seven in five shut
Ashley LaLonde went 2-for-3 with a triple and four RBI, while Bristley had a double, three RBI, and a pair of runs scored.
Onaway led just 4-3 in the nightcap before scoring three runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth. That was plenty for Emily Estep, who allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits, fanning 11 in seven innings.
OHS made three errors and had 10 hits. Megan Estep was 3-for-3 with five RBI and three runs scored, Szymoniak was 2-for-4 with a double, and Emily Estep scored four runs.