No-hitter and home run highlight a perfect afternoon for Posen
The Posen softball team showed an impressive blend of pitching and hitting in Tuesday?s season-opening sweep of Central Lake. Behind an 11-strikeout performance by senior pitcher Beth Julian and a 14-hit attack, the Vikings won their first contest of the season 10-2. Junior Jenny Ciarkowski followed Julian on the mound in the second game and tossed her first career no-hitter in the 14-0 mercy shortened contest. Posen takes a 2-0 mark in the Hillman Booster?s Tournament this weekend with a noon game against the Alpena JV. Host Hillman takes on Oscoda at 10 a.m.
If both Posen and Hillman win their games, the tournament final might provide a glimpse of who might have the stronger team in the North Star League this season. The teams shared the league crown in 2005 and battled deep into extra innings at the district championship game before Hillman came away with the win. The girls will come out of the Easter weekend with a doubleheader Monday at St. Ignace.
HITTING WAS one of Posen?s weaknesses late last year, but was far from a problem against Central Lake as three players started the new campaign with three hits apiece. Junior Megan Pieczynski had herself a terrific afternoon with five hits in five official plate appearances. She had three doubles and four RBI. Junior Mary Calhoun and sophomore Ashley Sobek were both three-for-four. The lead was 2-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning when the Vikings would load the bases with nobody out and score three runs.
?There was no big blow in the inning, but we ended up with the bases still loaded at the end of the inning,? said coach Glenn Budnick. Julian picked right up where she left off as a junior with double-digit strikeout totals. She allowed three hits, one earned run, and a walk, the only walk of the afternoon in 12 innin
?IT WAS A good way to start the season,? said Budnick. ?We did make some mistakes, but there is time to correct them.? The coach was looking for better execution with runners on the base paths. The Vikings left 12 aboard. With game one on in the books, Julian would be a tough act to follow for most number two pitchers, but Posen looks to have a pair of veteran aces as Ciarkowski no-hit the Trojans and backed up her pitching performance with a three-for-four showing at the plate. She had two doubles and four RBI. Ciarkowski worked five innings, allowing no walks, and struck out two.
One of the offensive highlights of the game came off the bat of senior second baseman Amanda Pieczynski who hit a bomb way over the left centerfield fence in the bottom of the first. The solo homer was followed by a seven run output the next inning. Sophomore Megan Haske handled the catching duties in the second game and went two-for-three with one RBI.