ONEKAMA —
If Onekama could take away one forgettable inning in each of
its games Tuesday, it may have had a different start to the
season.
But sizable early deficits made it tough for the Portagers
to keep pace with Lake City, as they dropped both games of
their season-opening doubleheader to the Trojans, 14-1 in
the opener and 10-5 in the nightcap.
“That’s what we talked about after tonight,” Onekama coach
Phil Sedelmaier said. “If we’re able to cut those errors
down, and just play fundamental softball, we’ll be fine.”
In the opener, Lake City jumped to an 8-0 lead in the top of
the first, which proved to be enough distance for a
comfortable four-inning mercy. The Portagers chipped away
with a run of their own in the bottom half of the opening
inning, but were unable to score for the duration despite
controlling the damage on the defensive end. "That first
inning we gave up eight runs and not many of them are
earned. So, I think the first game, our inexperience showed
a little," Sedelmaier said. “It’s the first time seeing live
pitching outside, so it took them a little while to settle
in.
“Once we did, at least we started putting the ball in play,
which was a big plus for us.”
Onekama’s Emily Bergren started on the mound in the opener
and allowed just two hits after a four-hit first while
striking out three Trojan batters.
At the plate, Nicole Slater scored the lone run for the
Portagers while Amy Kmiecik tallied the team’s only hit.
In the
nightcap, Brooke Sedelmaier started on the mound and allowed
three hits with two strikeouts. But Lake City still managed
to put together a big seven-run second inning for a 10-0
advantage.
