Vikings scorch the ball in 9-2 over Boyne Falls

The last victory for the Posen softball team 10 months ago was against the same team they beat Tuesday for the first win this season. The Vikings came out ready to hit in their first action, with five players with two or more hits, in defeating host Boyne Falls, 9-2. Posen was able to fight off Boyne Falls in the regional semifinals last year to earn a bid in the regional championship. The red and white kept the Loggers in check this time around as well.

Junior Shannon Ciarkowski allowed no earned runs and struck out four in getting the win on the mound, while senior Julie Lewandowski hit a two-run inside-the-park homer in her first at bat of the season for the Vikings. Lewandowski and Ciarkowski both led the Vikes with three RBI each.

THE SECOND game of the doubleheader was called in the third inning with the score tied at six, because of lightning. Coach Glenn Budnick was not only pleased to get the first win of the two month season, but he said it was good to get outside and play against some competition

?It feels good,? said Budnick. ?We were able to practice outside on Monday, so it wasn?t our first official time outdoors on a field. It was good to get a game in.? The Posen players smoked the ball, against some good pitching, on their way to collecting 14 hits. Junior Danielle Smolinski and sophomore Courtney Romel both went three-for-four. Smolinski had a double and two singles with an RBI, while Romel had three singles and knocked one in. The Vikings scored two in the first inning, three in the second, two in the third, and two more in the sixth. The Loggers picked up two unearned runs, but Budnick liked the way the defense played.

?(The) defense played great,? said Budnick. ?There were a couple of mistakes here

and there. We gave up two unearned runs, and for the first time out, that?s going to happen.

?THINGS WILL straighten themselves out. It wasn?t anything that cost us the game, obviously. We were able to get nine runs ourselves, thanks to our great hitting.? Ciarkowski pitched all six innings, giving up seven hits and one walk. She was two-for-four with a double and a single. Lewandowski had a double to go with her home run. Junior Michelle Bednarski was two-for-four with a double and an RBI.

Collecting singles were sophomore Katie Lewandowski and freshman Beth Julian. It was Julian?s first varsity hit.

?I thought we played very well for as young as we are,? said Budnick. ?We were able to do what we had to do to win the game.?