Going into the sixth inning against Warren Regina on Saturday the Lady Wolves needed just a couple of runs to break their opponent’s 4-2 lead their Girls in Pink Classic.
By the time freshman Makenzie King stepped up to the plate the base were loaded. With one hit she brought one runner in. Senior Tara Perry followed suit by bringing another teammate home to tie the score.
The girls took the lead off senior Megan Hastings hit which brought two runners home. But they captured the win off junior Sydney Hasselbach’s 3-run homerun after hitting it into centerfield and over the fence.
“She ignited the team,” said Clarkston Girls Varsity Softball Head Coach Don Peters. ‘She had a great day. She had two significant hits.”
Clarkston finished the game with a 11-5 win over Regina. Freshman Rachel Vieira hit 3-for-4, Perry hit 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Hastings hit 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Freshman Madeline Maday was the winning pitcher with seven strikeouts.
The girls continued the day with wins over Fenton, 3-1, and Sterling Heights Stevenson, 1-0.
‘It was a great day for the girls and a great day as we raised money (for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation),” said Peters. “I couldn’t have been prouder of their mental toughness and how well they played together as a team. We won a trophy and had some fun.As a program we feel strongly the team has been blessed in a lot of ways from the community and their parents to give back.”
Maday was the winning pitcher against Stevenson with 11 strikeouts. Hasselbach had one RBI and hit a double for the lone run in the fourth inning.
Freshman Candace Kitchen was the winning pitcher against Fenton with five strikeouts in six innings. Hasselbach hit 2-for-2 with two doubles. Vieira hit 2-for-3 with one double. Vieira, Perry and senior Shauna Siwicki had one RBI each.
Clarkston also beat Troy in their double header last Wednesday, 4-3 and 8-7.
“That is always a good feeling,” said Peters. “Since I have been at Clarkston they have been our main rival in softball. It was a good defensive clutch plays when they had to. They got the hits when they had to, too. They are definitely defining what we do – clutch hitting and clutch defense. They made some plays in the last game and they were in tough situations.”
The Lady Wolves play North Farmington on Wednesday and head to Avondale next Monday. Both are double headers beginning at 4:30 p.m.
“We are playing tough teams,” said Peters. “North Farmington is ranked ahead of us in the county, the state and in our league. It should be a lot of fun. We are looking forward to see how the girls grow in the season. It will be a good indicator of where we are at.”