SPORTS COLUMNIST PETER JAKEY:The hits keep on coming
There?s been no relief for pitchers facing the Posen softball batting order this season. From the leadoff batter all the way through to the number nine hitter, as the season continues to progress, the girls are proving there are no easy outs in their lineup. The Viking hitters either put the ball in play, putting tons of pressure on the defense, sacrifice with a bunt to get a runner in scoring position, or drive the ball to the fence. What?s an opposing pitcher supposed to do? Keep a bottle of Tums in her pocket.
THE SCARY part of the situation in Posen is now that the season is down to the last two weeks before the post-season, the girls are really just starting to sting the ball, making the first place Vikings even more dangerous. ?A lot of good things are happening for us right now,? said coach Glenn Budnick. ?We?re not dying with one or two outs. We?re hitting the ball even with two outs, and were getting the runners in.? That?s what happened Saturday at the Mackinaw City tournament as the Vikings were down early 7-0. With two outs in the third inning, the Posen bats heated up as they tied the game and eventually would score eight more runs to win 15-8. From a senior leader to a combative group of quick freshmen, Posen has a balanced batting order.
JULIE LEWANDOWSKI is having an incredible season for the Vikings. She is coming through with clutch hit after clutch hit, with some of the biggest in the crucial Arenac Eastern doubleheader last Thursday. Going for the sweep, Posen found itself down 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning. After a lead-off double by sophomore Courtney Romel, and a sacrifice, Julie came through with an RBI single to tie the game and send the contest into the eighth inning, where the Vikes eventually put the Eagles away. The junior class has probably two of the best players in the area in Michelle Bednarski and Shannon Ciarkowski. Ciarkowski was routinely producing multiple-hit games in the last week. In the four games at Mackinaw, she had 11 hits. Bednarski had the game-winning double to clinch the sweep against Arenac. She blistered a walk-off double which went all the way to the leftcenter fence, sending the team into a celebration.
IF ONLY Michelle had hit the ball as high as coach Budnick threw the scorebook in the air, that ball would have cleared the fence. ?Everybody is coming around,? said Budnick. ?We had a few girls who weren?t hitting, but right now they are all starting to come around.? Junior Kyrie Kuffel is one of them. She took over at first base when Danielle Smolinski was lost because of a knee injury. Kuffel came out of a slump, going five-for-five against Arenac and had six more hits at Mackinaw. Sophomores Courtney Romel and Katie Lewandowski have been collecting their share of hits as well. Every time I?ve seen Romel she always seems to get her bat on the ball. She has a good eye at the plate and doesn?t miss often. Katie has been spending a lot of time on the base paths. In the first game of the Fairview doubleheader she had three hits to lead the squad. IN THE 21-6 victory against visiting Fairview Monday, the girls had 17 hits. Freshmen starters Amanda Pieczynski and Beth Julian have made it difficult for coach Budnick to keep the youngsters out of the lineup.
It didn?t seem like the pressure got to the girls in the North Star League showdown with Arenac. When it was needed most, the two drove in three insurance runs in the fifth. The runs came with two out, too. ?We?re also manufacturing runs and not just looking for the single,? said Budnick. ?Against Arenac, we had six sacrifice bunts that allowed runs to score or move runners in scoring position. We?re doing what needs to be done to win softball games.? It?s all good in Posen, and at this point, it only seems to be getting better.
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THE STRAITS Area Conference will include seven schools after a vote of the executive committee April 25 Beginning in the 2004-2005 school year the members of the SAC conference will be: Cheboygan, Lincoln-Alcona, Newberry, Rogers City, Rudyard, Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace.
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RCHS ATHLETIC director Pat Lamb said he has encountered some angry baseball and softball fans who weren?t happy about paying to get i
The grumbling doesn?t appear as if it?s going to change anything. By the way, season passes are being honored. Lamb said all one has to do is look at the monthly expense for officials and selling tickets makes sense. Considering some of the abuse officials take, I think they are worth every penny.
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THE ANNUAL Spring Fling softball tournament in Hawks is going to have teams from Gaylord, Midland, and Alpena, as well as the locals, this year. Organizer Carl Altman said he?s looking at 16 teams for the Memorial Day weekend tournament. This year there?s going to be some games in Rogers City at ?The Hole.?