MCC sweeps Onekama in chilly series

By DYLAN SAVELA
Manistee News Advocate Sports Writer
Published: Monday, May 16, 2011

MANISTEE — The sun was deceiving Monday as it hung overhead at Beach Douglas Park First Street Beach.

It shined through clear skies, but under its rays were softball fans wrapped in blankets and winter garb, while both the Manistee Catholic Central and Onekama players tried to stay warm under several layers of long sleeve shirts and team jackets that covered their jerseys.

The only thing that seemed to remain warm throughout the series were the Sabers’ bats, as MCC swept the Portagers with two mercy-rule victories that each lasted four innings.

“Considering the elements out there, the girls did the best they could,” Sabers coach Dave Lijewski said of his team’s 18-1 win in the opener and 20-5 victory in the nightcap. “It’s really hard to swing, to pitch and to play the game, really (in the cold weather). But I thought we handled it pretty well." The Sabers benefited from jumping out to comfortable margins in both contests, as they scored 11 runs in the first innings of the opener and eight in the nightcap.

“It was nice to get an early jump in both games,” said Lijewski, whose team has now played Onekama for five games this season. “I told the girls before, we couldn’t take them lightly. When you see a team that much, pretty soon they pick up on how you play. I thought the girls did a pretty nice job with not caving in.”

Aside from sweeping the season series from the Portagers, MCC’s pair of victories Monday count towards its West Michigan D League record which is now 7-1, while they sit at 17-2 overall. The sweep also serves as a bounce-back series from the Sabers’ split against Brethren Friday.

“We forgot about the loss last time, and moved forward,” Lijewski said. “We’re focused on getting our game going again and I think we’re back on the right track. We’ve got some work to do, but we’re getting there.”

After Onekama jumped out to a one-run lead in the top half inning of the opener, MCC responded by plating 11 in the first, two in the second and five in the fourth for the victory. Pitchers Mimi Modjeski and Alysha Heck silenced the Portagers the rest of the way as well.

Modjeski threw three strikeouts and zero walks in the first pair of innings while Heck threw five strikeouts with two walks in the latter pair.

“Alysha Heck played a pretty decent ballgame,” Lijewski said. “I wanted to get some work in for her since she hasn’t pitched for a few games, and it was a good time to get her in. She looked pretty good today.”

At the plate, Modjeski led the Sabers with three hits including two doubles with an RBI. MCC’s Brooke Etheridge had two hits and an RBI while Heck knocked a three-run double, Hannah Janicki and Haley Doyle each had a hit and an RBI and Alex Barnett had a pair of RBIs.

For Onekama, Nicole Slater had two of the team’s three hits with a single and a double and an RBI. Emily Bergren had a hit as well.

“Walks killed us that first game,” Onekama coach Phil Sedelmaier said of putting the Sabers on base 14 times in the opener. “Especially with this team, when you throw in a hit here and a hit there.

“The second game we played a little bit better, though.”

Manistee Catholic Central continued to hit the ball in the nightcap, scoring eight first-inning runs and plating 10 in the second, but the Portagers also upped their offensive output.

Onekama had nine hits as Kaylan Fitch had two hits including a double with two RBIs, Bergren and Brooke Sedelmaier knocked two hits apiece, Slater had a hit and two RBIs, Jennica Mathieu had a double and Ashley DeRooy had a hit.

The Portagers scored twice in both the first and second and once in the third, but couldn’t muster enough production to erase the deficit.

“At the end of the game, even though we were down by quite a bit still, we were able to bring the infield in and it gave us a chance to work on stuff we need to still,” Sedelmaier said. “It gives us a chance to work on things to build for the future. Right now, we’re inexperienced and it shows.”

Modjeski pitched a full four innings for MCC, allowing two walks with six strikeouts.

At the plate, Janicki had a pair of hits with two RBIs, Doyle had two hits, Heck hit a two-run inside-the-park home run, while Julia Sidor, Amber Robke, Barnett, Modjeski and Etheridge each had a hit. Barnett had four RBIs while Etheridge had three.