Vikings have three days of tough non-league games ahead

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

At the end of a successful stretch of eight straight games in the North Star League (NSL), which saw the Viking softball club win seven games and put them on track to win their third league championship, come three of the most competitive days of the season, bar none. Posen (16-2) travels to Rogers City today (4 p.m.), hosts Superior Central (4 p.m.) tomorrow and then brings in some of the top Division IV programs from northern Michigan for Saturday?s Posen Invitational.

Onaway and Superior Central are matched up at 10 a.m. in the tournament, while the Vikings and Harbor Light Christian will follow. There will be a consolation game followed by the championship tilt, won by Posen a year ago, 8-6, over Superior Central. The Vikings are 11-1 in the NSL, leaving them tied with Hillman. Posen?s only remaining league games are next Thursday against Atlanta, while Hillman has two left with Mio. THE VIKINGS latest conference victories came at Fairview Monday and Arenac Eastern. Posen used a 16-run second inning to put away Fairview in game one. Janice Ciarkowski allowed only one hit and struck out four in the mercy-shortened contest (18-0). Anna Couture went 3-for-3 with two triples and a double — all in the second inning. She also knocked in four. Leanne Buczkowski (3 RBI), Ashley Meyers and LeAnn Strzelecki each had two hits apiece.

Strzelecki went to the mound in game two and threw a three-inning perfect game, in another mercy-shortened affair. She struck out four Eagles and helped her own cause with a 2-for-2 game, including a grand slam and five RBI Lindsay Ponik was 5-for-6 with six RBI, while Buczkowski was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Meyers, who was 3-for-3, including a solo homer, is only the third player to hit a ball out of Fairview?s field.

Ciarkowski was 3

-for-3 with two triples and two RBI. There were lots of hits to go around, as well as solid pitching, but it was the defense Budnick was pleased with as there were no errors, ??and hopefully that will continue.? THE CLOSEST game of the week was game one at Arenac last Thursday, as the hosts were down by two runs in the bottom of the sixth and had the tying runs on second and third with one out when Buczkowski struck out the final two batters. The final was 5-3. The Eagles had a 3-0 lead through two innings, before the Vikings came back with two in the third and fourth, as well as an insurance run in the sixth.

Buczkowski gave up five hits, one earned run and two walks in six innings, while striking out nine. She also was 2-for-4. Cheryl Romel was 3-for-3 with a RBI, while Abbie Delekta added a RBI double in the fourth inning. Ponik tossed two-hit ball (5 IN, ER, 2 W, 4 K?s), while the Posen bats boomed in a 17-5 victory. The Vikes scored three in the first, four in the second, four in the third and five in the sixth. The hitters follow: Couture 4-for-4 (2B, 5 RBI), Meyers 4-for-5 (RBI), Buczkowski 3-for-5 (2B, RBI), Ponik and Emily Delekta two hits apiece, Paige Lewandowski four runs scored. Ciarkowski three the final inning, setting down A-E 1-2-3, and in the process, picked up a K.

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