Back on track: Anchor Bay holds off Troy to reach Final Four
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
MADISON HEIGHTS — New Baltimore Anchor Bay is back at full strength. That could be the final piece of the puzzle in the softball season’s final week of the season for the Tars.
Anchor Bay returned Lauren Podroski from a five-week hiatus from a wrist injury and the Tars appear to be firing on all cylinders, as evidenced in their 9-6 victory over Troy on Tuesday. The win came in the Division 1 state quarterfinals at Madison Heights Bishop Foley and vaults Anchor Bay into the state semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday at Battle Creek’s Bailey Park.
It was the third time in four years that Anchor Bay has ousted Troy in the state quarterfinals round — all at Bishop Foley.
“We just got her back but she’s made a difference to the lineup,” said Anchor Bay coach Len Perkins of Podroski. “She gave us (the pop) we needed.”
In a bizarre tournament where most of the top10 already being knocked out, Anchor Bay, honorable mention in the polls entering the postseason, has proven to have as good of a chance as anybody.
Bree Crampton overcame a grand slam in the third to gain the win form the circle. Crampton was one of four players on the Tars’ roster that played on Anchor Bay’s state runner-up squad in 2009.
“There’s four of us that have been to Battle Creek,” said Campton. “That was an amazing experience. We kept talking about it and we were one game away. Now, we get to go again. We’ve been playing really well lately. We knew we could do it.”
For Troy (21-12), the Colts have not had much success in quarterfinals game as of late. It marked the seventh time in nine years Troy has reached this round, but the Colts are 1-5 in quarterfinals games played at Bishop Foley.
“That dugout, this field has not been took kind to us,” admitted veteran Troy coach Tom Calnen, whose team also lost in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009 on the same field.
“We had a great run to get here, but we didn’t play the way you need to play at this level to advance,” added Calnen, whose team was 7-2 down the stretch. “I’m proud of my kids because they came together at the right time and made a great run. We just didn’t play all that well today. You have to give credit to Anchor Bay.”
Anchor Bay (27-8) chased Troy starter Kristen Krajenta after just 2 1/3 innings with a 7-2 lead. Cori Mittelbrun surrendered two runs in relief.
Troy clawed back in the bottom of the third with a no-out grand slam from Lynsey Mukomel, which closed the gap to 7-6. The Colts could not get any closer.
Podroski answered the rally with a two-run, opposite field home run over the right field fence in the fourth to push the lead back to three runs and cap the scoring.
Crampton retired 11 of the final 14 batters she faced, giving up just one hit, a one-out single in the sixth, in that span. She gave up only five hits on the day and had six strikeouts.
Anchor Bay picked up a two-run single from Rose Reilly in the first to take the lead.
Troy countered in the bottom half of the frame when Kaitlin Shelter walked and scored on a wild pitch. Later in the frame Lauren Harden added an RBI groundout.
In the third, the Tars opened up a five-run gap with five more runs. Reilly and Podgorski chipped in RBI singles, Jenna Stancavage followed with a two-run double and Anchor Bay scored another run on on a wild pitch.
The lead was never safe until the final out was recorded, according to Perkins.
“They had a walk, a single, an error and they hit that grand slam. We had a 7-2 lead before that point,” said Perkins. “We’ve got to play better defense.
“We had 13-14 hits. I think that made a big difference and we did it with people on base,” added Perkins. “We brought back our third baseman today (Podgorski) and she hit that big two-run homer. That was a big lift for us. She had four RBI. She was out five weeks with a broken wrist.”
Perkins believes his team has a shot like anybody else.
Why not? It’s just getting there is a big deal. Whatever happens, happens,” offered Perkins. “We got a chance.”
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Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Troy
