The Brandon softball pitching tandem of Jill Perry and Jackie Wojtkowicz did their utmost to help the Blackhawks capture the North Star Tournament championship.
However, in the end the host Blackhawks had to settle for a third place finish at the 11th annual tournament, held May 3-4 at Liberty Park in Sterling Heights.
The Blackhawks lost to Garden City 6-2 in the semifinals of the tournament May 4. Clarkston went on to defeat Garden City 2-1 in the finals to capture the tournament championship.
Brandon’s record is now 15-2 overall and 4-0 in Flint Metro Conference play.
‘Overall, it was a good weekend for us,? Brandon coach Don Peters said. ‘We played some good softball.?
Perry, a freshman, helped Brandon get started on the right foot May 3 as the Blackhawks, who were grouped in Pool A at the invite, defeated East Detroit in the tournament opener 5-0. Perry struck out 10 East Detroit batters, and senior Berryl Pappas went four-for-four to spark the Brandon offense.
In their second game of the afternoon, the Blackhawks defeated Dearborn Divine Child 2-1 in eight innings. Wojtkowicz, a sophomore, earned the win on the mound for Brandon, while senior Brooke Seffens and sophomore Katie Flood led the Blackhawks with two hits apiece.
Brandon captured the Pool A championship with a 7-4 win against Imlay City in their final game of the day. Perry was the winning pitcher for the Blackhawks, while several Brandon players helped out their offensive attack. Pappas led the team with three hits, while Seffens added two hits and senior Claire Cianek added two hits and two RBI.
On May 4, the Blackhawks captured their quarterfinal game against a highly regarded opponent in North Farmington, earning a 1-0 win. Wojtkowicz earned the shutout win for Brandon, while sophomore Meredith Dura drove in senior Michelle Hojnacki with the game’s only run, setting up the Blackhawks? semifinal match with Garden City.
Brandon returns to action today when they host Fenton at 4 p.m.