Panthers go 3-2 to place second at Mt. Pleasant tourney
The Presque Isle Panthers traveled to Mt. Pleasant to play in the annual Next Door Store Fastpitch Tournament over the weekend. The girls 18 and under travel team from Rogers City, Onaway and Posen had a very good tournament as they placed second, losing to the host Mt. Pleasant Next team in the finals.
Pool play began Friday night at 6:45 and the Panthers faced the eventual champion losing 12-0 as an eight-run fourth inning was the unraveling for the Panthers. Logan Schuiteman took the loss and was relieved by Katie Darga. Only four Panthers had hits, Katie Tulgestke, Allie Jo Nave, Lindsay Ponik and Amanda Lenard.
The Panthers would battle back defeating the Traverse City West Bays 8-1 Saturday morning. The Panthers scored four runs in he top of the first inning as Schuiteman walked and was doubled home by Nave. Tulgestke would then reach on an error and Ponik would double to score Nave and Tulgestke. Emily Marx then singled before Christina Bednarski would lay down a one-out RBI sacrifice bunt.
They then added two more runs in the third inning after Tulgestke led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a fielder?s choice off the bat of Marx. Marx would later score on a bases-loaded walk to Lenard. In the sixth the Panthers added two more on a one-out double by Lenard followed by two walks to Greta Grambau and Sara Carpenter to load the bases. Schuiteman then singled to score one and Nave drove in another with a groundout.
Ponik earned the win on the mound going seven innings allowing just four hits, striking out six and walking three. Saturday afternoon the Panthers defeated the Muskegon Rowdy Rockets 7-1. The Panthers would break it open in the third inning After an error opened the inning, Grambau singled, Schuiteman reached on an error, Nave tripled to score Grambau and Schuiteman, Tulgestke singled in Nave. Ponik then singled to plate Tulgestke. In the fifth, Nave would double and Ponik would walk before Marx doubled them both in. Darga earned the win on the mound going five innings allowing one run on three hits, striking out five and walking one. Schuiteman would pitch the final two innings giving up two hits and striking out one.
The win gave the Panthers a 2-1 record and placed them second in their pool heading into bracket play. The Panthers faced the Petoskey Blaze Saturday night and won a back-and-forth game 6-4. Schuiteman earned the win on the mound going all seven. Petoskey took an early lead
Petoskey would tie the score in the fourth before the Panthers earned an unearned run in the sixth. Petoskey would tie it in the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the seventh Nave started with a double and with one out, Ponik notched a single before Marx delivered a two RBI double and would later score on a RBI single by Grambau. The win earned the Panthers a chance at the title.
Sunday afternoon the Panthers faced the Mt. Pleasant Next team for the championship. Schuiteman pitched seven strong innings allowing 10 hits, striking out two and walking only one. However, the Panthers notched only one hit from Bednarski and lost the game 6-0. The Panthers return to action in Caro on July 24-26 for their final tournament of the season.