Huron girls fight six-game losing streak

by Angie Asam, Staff Writer

The Rogers City varsity softball team had a tough week as they went on a six-game losing streak dropping two to Cheboygan, Onaway and Marquette. Tuesday the Hurons were in Cheboygan for a conference doubleheader where they fell 9-0 and 7-6. Logan Schuiteman took the loss in game one as she gave up nine runs on 16 hits. Rogers City had six hits led by Katie Tulgestke who had two hits including a double. Nikkie LaLonde, Emily Marx, Sara Carpenter and Greta Grambau each added a hit in the loss.

Cheboygan took an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning of game two before Rogers City added five runs in the bottom of the frame to take the score to 5-4. Rogers City added one in the third while Cheboygan added three in the fourth to take the game 7-6. Katie Darga took the loss giving up seven runs on 11 hits while striking out three. According to coach Karl Grambau, most of the hits were little bloopers that fell in between the infield and outfield.

The Hurons? five-run rally started with a Carpenter hit, Grambau then sacrificed her to second before Sam Hall ripped a triple to score Carpenter. Darga then reached base on an error and Schuiteman singled in Hall for the second run of the inning. With two outs Tulgestke stepped to the plate and doubled in Darga and Schuiteman. Tulgestke would also then come around to score to give the Hurons a five-run inning. The Hurons scored in the third when Grambau hit a one-out single and Hall doubled her in. Cheboygan?s three runs in the third inning were all unearned due to Rogers City errors.

?It was disappointing to lose both games. We should have split the doubleheader. Cheboygan out hit us in the first game but the second game should have been ours. We have come up short on our goal of winning the conference championship. We need to move forward and get ready for the district tournament at home in June. We are now 11-11. Onaway is 22-0, Posen is 18-2 and Hillman is 20-3 and anybody could win our district. We have three weeks to improve and I know we will work hard to do our best,? said coach Grambau.

FRIDAY THE Hurons hosted Marquette and were swept by scores of 3-1 and 4-0. Rogers City gathered six hits in game one led by Darga with two hits including a triple. Tulgestke also added a triple while Carpenter, Grambau and Hall each had hits. The Hurons had five hits in game two led by LaLonde with two and one each from Marx, Linnea Brege and Brenna Hincka. THURSDAY ONAWAY was in town and swept the Hurons by scores of 8-1 and 2-0. Schuiteman took the loss in game one giving up eight runs on 14 hits and three walks while striking out seven. Singles by LaLonde, Brege and Darga were all the Huron offense could muster in game one.

Darga took the loss in game tw

o as she gave up two runs on five hits while striking out ten. Rogers City had six hits in the game including three by LaLonde, a double by Tulgestke and hits by Carpenter and Grambau. Rogers City hosts Posen today (Thursday) and will be at Newberry Tuesday. ?We will continue to work hard to improve each day. We need to have the ball bounce our way once in a while. We didn?t lose six in a row by a lack of effort. We just need to be more consistent and get the big hit when needed. Hitting is contagious and we need to hit better. Our defense has been pretty good and our pitching has been good,? said coach Gramabu.

Grambau believes and is very confident in his team. He believes they can compete with anybody. ?We have played a tough schedule and have gone up against good pitching all year. That should have us ready for anything in the district tournament. We neeed to be more confident as a team that we can do it,? said Grambau.