RC hosts regional tournament Saturday
Four teams will play in Rogers City with a regional title on the line. Rogers City faces Rapid River in the 10 a.m. game. It is a rematch of last year’s regional championship game won 6-3 by the Hurons.
Last Saturday in Pickford, Rapid River (19-14), ranked number 10 in the last coach’s poll, earned its way to the regional semifinals with a win over Superior Central, 5-2 in the district finals. Rapid River ace Savannah Stenlund went all seven innings, striking out 15 batters while allowing three hits and no walks.
Stenlund tossed a perfect game in the 11-0 mercy-rule win over Rudyard in the district semifinals. She earned the win in a 21-0 decision over Pickford in a three-inning mercy-rule win in the predistrict game. Stenlund struck out all nine batters. Prior to the district final, she threw three consecutive no-hitters and back-to-back perfect games.
The Rockets played in consecutive final fours in 2011 and 2012 before last year’s loss to the Hurons. That 2013 squad started six freshmen. This years’ team has six sophomores, four juniors and three freshmen. Stenlund is the only senior on the team.
Rapid River plays a schedule loaded with Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 teams, as does the Huron squad.
In the noon game, Norway (19-6) faces Indian River Inland Lakes. Norway won its first district title in only the fourth year of its softball program. A four-run
Indian River topped Harbor Light, 15-0 in a predistrict game then defeated St. Ignace, 14-3 and Pellston, 2-1 to claim the district title.
The winner of Saturday’s regional goes on to play the winner of the Frankfort regional featuring Central Lake, Manton, Manistee Catholic Central and Maple City Glen Lake. The quarterfinal is set for Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Traverse City West High School.
The winner of the quarterfinals advances to the state semifinals in East Lansing June 13. The state Division 4 finals will be played June 14 in East Lansing.
Rogers City also hosts the baseball regional. Indian River Inland Lakes plays Norway in the 10 a.m. game. Rudyard faces Johannesburg-Lewiston in the noon contest. The regional championship game is planned for around 2 p.m.