Softball team picks up 25th win of season
After eight games in five days, the Hurons are back in action today (Thursday) at Inland Lakes. That comes before the Hurons head into district tournament action in Onaway. Tuesday the Hurons ran up their 24th and 25th wins of the season against just four losses. Rogers City defeated Hillman 17-2 and 10-1 on the home field Monday. Ashley Fleming picked up the win in the first game. She also blasted a three-run homer, one of her three hits in the contest.
Renee Romel, Megan Grulke, and C. J. Calabrese also had three hits in the first game.
IN GAME TWO with Hillman, Rachel Brege was the beneficiary of another big hitting attack. Angie Asam, Alison Schuiteman, and Cassy Brege each had two hits in the win.
LAST THURSDAY in Onaway, the Hurons took both ends of a doubleheader, 13-0, 14-2. Sophomore third baseman Ashley Fleming had a big day, driving in seven runs on five hits. Rachel Brege notched the shutout in the first game, allowing three Cardinal hits and striking out four while again walking no one. The senior again showed great control as her defense played solidly behind her. Angie Asam had four hits, including a triple, while Fleming, Brege, and Theresa Bellmore each had three hits.
Calabrese limited the Cardinals to six hits, while walking none, in the second game. She struck out six in seven innings. Senior shortstop Renee Romel had four hits on the game, including a double and a triple. She went six-for-nine in the day.
FRIDAY, THE Hurons traveled to Marquette for a game under the lights against the Division I team. The Hurons had nine hits, but mustered only three runs in support of Brege. She pitched six innings and allowed 10 hits and three earned runs while striking out four batters. Romel continued her torrid hitting as she blasted two doubles and a single. Lindsey Fleming added two hits while Megan Grulke had two RBI. Three errors on two plays led to three unearned runs for Marquette in the fifth inning.
SATURDAY, PLAY moved to the Superior Dome at Northern Michigan University where two softball fields were made out of the football field. Played at the same time, games were played with the fields sharing the same outfield fence. In the first game, the Hurons gained a measure of revenge over a doubleheader loss earlier in the season by defeating Petoskey 5-0.
Calabrese shut out Petoskey on two hits and three walks. The sophomore struck out six in seven innings of work. Ashley Fleming slammed a long homer, which interrupted play on the adjacent field.
THE HURONS then had a rematch with Marquette and came out on top, 6-4. Calabrese again pitched, surrendering one earned run, five hits, and three walks. Grulke, Bellmore and Ashley Fleming each had two hits. Then, the Hurons took on Escanaba, ranked as high as number three in Division I. Facing flame-throwing junior Lesley Noel, the Hurons managed only one hit in losing 10-0.
?She was the fastest pitcher I?ve ever seen,? said coach Karl Grambau. ?This girl could really pitch.? Noel had allowed just two ea
?The good thing is that the second time around, we were getting the bat on the ball,? Grambau said. Grambau was pleased with his team?s play. ?It was a great tournament for us. Petoskey beat us two times earlier in the season, and then we shut them out here. We had a chance to play some really stiff competition,? he said. So far this season, the Hurons have a team batting average of .341 while allowing the other team to hit .194. Huron pitchers have walked just 27 of the 773 batters they have faced while patient Huron batters have walked 92 times.
The district tournament begins in Onaway Tuesday, with Onaway facing Inland Lakes. Rogers City plays the winner of that game on Saturday. Rudyard and Newberry square off in the other district semifinal. Rogers City hosts regional action in both baseball and softball