Four-run fifth helps Lake Orion knock out Adams
IN TIME: Lake Orion catcher Emily Pillivant retrieves the throw to the plate and prepares to apply the tag on Rochester Adams' Chloe Kauffman during Tuesday's Division 1 pre-district contest. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
LAKE ORION — All it took was a few adjustments.
Lake Orion was having a difficult time getting the ball on the bat in Tuesday’s Division 1 district opener against Rochester Adams. The host Dragons were finally able to get untracked and posted a 5-1 victory over the Highlanders to advance to Saturday’s district semifinals.
Lake Orion will face Rochester Stoney Creek Saturday at Romeo, with Oxford taking on Romeo in the other semifinal.
“We had a hard time adapting to the slower speed of their pitcher,” admitted Lake Orion coach Joe Woityra. “The first few innings, we only had a couple of hits. But we were able to string a couple together later in the game to pull ahead.”
Both teams traded off runs in the third inning, with Lake Orion blowing the door open with a four-run fifth. Alicia Gronowski belted a three-run single off the fence and Hayley Gilbertson, who finished 2-for-4, slapped an RBI single as part of the four-run explosion.
Kaitlin Kogut scattered 12 hits and had one strikeout but only allowed the one run in the third to gain the win from the circle for Lake Orion (25-7), which finished as the runner-up in the OAA Red Division. Kogut pitched her way out of some jams, stranding six runners in scoring position.
“We’ve had a good season so far. The hardest thing for this team has been adjusting to pitchers. It sometimes takes us a few innings,” said Woityra. “We may have the same problem with Stoney Creek on Saturday. We face a lot of good pitchers in our league and with the (non-league) schedule that we play, we see a lot of pitchers that have speed. When we face slower pitchers, it throws off the timing. You have to give their girl credit because she held us (in check) for several innings.
Chloe Kauffman had an RBI double that plated Rebecca Camaiani for the sole run for the Highlanders (22-12), who still have four make-up games to play this week. Adams outhit Lake Orion 12-9.
Gilbertson scored the other run in the third inning for Lake Orion, crossing the plate on a wild pitch after reaching base on a single.
Melanie Kipke gave up nine hits in six innings, walking three and striking out two in taking the loss for Adams. All five runs were earned.
Adams loaded the bases in the seventh inning, but failed to rally back from the four-run deficit.
“We have a very competitive bunch and that’s how it’s been all season. We keep playing to the last out, which is alI can ask of them” admitted Adams coach Fran Scislowicz. “If we could have snuck in a couple of more hits, who knows what might have happened. We had (12 hits), but we just couldn’t string enough together at the right times to score more runs. We have a very talented lineup. This was just one of those games where Lake Orion got the clutch hits. You have to give them credit.
“Lake Orion made some nice plays defensively,” added Scislowicz. “They made some plays in the outfield (with the wind blowing out) and they threw a strike right to the plate to get one of our base runners out. They made the plays to win.”
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Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Lake Orion, Prep Wraps, Rochester Adams
