SOFTBALL: Lake Orion earns split with rival Clarkston
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
LAKE ORION — After a tough spurt to open the season, Lake Orion is beginning to establish itself as one of the area’s top softball teams.
The Dragons posted a split with arch-rival Clarkston Wednesday on the softball diamond, remaining in which is now just a three-team race in the OAA Red Division that also includes Troy.
NOT IN TIME: Lake Orion's Brianna Schwarcz can't retrieve the ball at second base as Clarkston's Tara Perry slides in safely during Wednesday's OAA Red Division double-header. Staff Photo
Lake Orion earned a 3-0 victory over the Division 1 third-ranked Wolves in Game 1, then came one up one run shy in a 4-3 loss to Clarkston in the nightcap.
“After our 1-3 start against some really good Ohio schools, I think we have picked it up. We have had some injuries and have had to move some players around, but we have been competing and playing well against some good competition,” noted Lake Orion coach Joe Woityra. “Today, we came in and beat the No. 3 team in the state and came only a hit away from possibly sweeping them. We’re still very much in the league race.”
With the Lake Orion and Clarkston’s split and Troy’s sweep of defending OAA Red Division champion North Farmington Wednesday, Clarkston (13-2, 5-1) moved into sole possession of first place in the league. Lake Orion (12-10, 4-2) is now in second place, one game back and tied with Troy in that position.
WITHIN REACH: Clarkston's Rachel Pytel makes the play at first base during Wednesday's twinbill. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
North Farmington, the preseason league favorite, now has four league losses and likely out of the race.
Clarkston, which finished third in the league last season, owns sweeps this season of North Farmington and Troy, which has reached the state quarterfinals in each of the past five seasons, and now has a split with Lake Orion. That equation puts the Wolves in the driver’s seat with twinbills still to go against Farmington and Oxford.
“If you came to me and said we’d be 5-1 in the league after (sweeping) both Troy and North Farmington and splitting here today, I would have said that I’d take it,” admitted Clarkston coach Don Peters. “I can’t complain because we have some great kids and we are playing some good ball. Sure, you like to win them all, but to be in first place at this point, I like our chances (to compete for the league).”
OUT OF HARM'S WAY: Clarkston's Megan Hastings watches her pop up drop just beyond first base. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
Clarkston, off to one of its best starts in school history, plated two runs in the first and added two more in the fourth during the nightcap, which proved to be crucial. Lake Orion scored three runs in the top of the seventh, but couldn’t get the equalizer across the plate despite having runners on the corners with two out.
Unranked Lake Orion rallied in the seventh, with Alicia Gronowski providing an RBI groundout with no out and two on base. Kayla Knoblock later added an infield single and eventually scored on a wild pitch, while Hannah Hamay laced an RBI single to left with two out to make it a one-run game.
Relief pitcher Megan Hastings, the Wolves’ No. 1 starter last year who has been plagued by a basketball-related injury, came in and closed the game for her fifth save of the season.
“She’s come in and had I think five saves for us now, and they were all in tough situations,” said Peters. “She hasn’t been able to pitch for long stretches, but she is effective when she does pitch. She’s also been tearing the cover off the ball. What a season she’s had.
MAKING CONTACT: Lake Orion's Kennedi Thomas puts the ball into play during Game 2 of Wednesday's OAA twinbill. Staff Photo
“We’re also off to a very good start at 13-2,” added Peters. “In the (eight years) I’ve been at Clarkston, this is our best start.”
Sydney Hasselbach ripped a two-run double in the first inning and Shauna Siwicki provided a four-run cushion with a two-run double of her own in the fourth inning. It proved to be enough offense to fend off Lake Orion in the end.
Freshman pitcher Candace Kitchen went 6 1/3 innings to gain the win, striking out just one batter while scattering six hits for Clarkston in Game 2.
In the opener, Lake Orion jumped on Clarkston for two runs in the first and one run in the third and kept the Wolves at bay throughout. Gronowski fired a seven-hitter with four strikeouts to gain the win from the circle in the opener for Lake Orion.
Taylor Dillon reached on an error and scored on a fielder’s choice to open the gate. Hamay, pinch running for Julie Maclear, scored on an RBI single from Brianna Schwarcz to make it 2-0 in the first.
In the third inning, Schwarcz walked and later plated on a passed ball to make it 3-0 in the third frame.
IN THE LEATHER: Lake Orion's Bethany Kogut catches this pop up during the second game of Wednesday's double-header with Clarkston.Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
“Considering where we were at a month ago to where we are now, I am pleased,” said Woityra. “We have 18 (regular season) games to go and we play some very good competition coming up. It should be a fun race here in the next couple weeks of the season. Right now, we’re just working on getting better each week and hopefully we’ll go into districts playing our best softball.”
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ON A ROPE: Clarkston's Sydney Hasselbach guns the ball towards first base during Clarkston 4-3, Game 2 victory over Lake Orion. Staff Photo | Dan stickradt
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