By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
Lake Orion’s varsity softball team charged into Saturday’s tournament like a locomotive following an 11-1 victory over North Farmington on Thursday.
The lady Dragons went to the Lake Shore Tournament on Saturday and started off well against Coloma. The Dragons were down 3-1 going into the last inning when the girls rallied and scored six runs to win, 7-3.
The late win pushed the team’s record to 20-0 record before taking on number-two-ranked Lake Shore.
That’s when things took a turn.
Lake Orion held a 4-2 going lead into the top of the fifth inning when some defensive miscues led to a seven-run inning for the Shorians and an eventual 14-4 win for Lake Shore and the Dragon’s first loss of the season.
“We made a lot of mental mistakes. They’re a good team and they took advantage of it,” Coach Joe Woityra said. “We just couldn’t recover, we tried switching pitchers and battle back but it just didn’t happen.”
Lake Orion then faced St. Joseph, a team from Indiana. Unfortunately, more miscues led to another Lake Orion loss, 11-3.
Despite the rocky weekend, Woityra said it doesn’t overshadow the work his team has made during the season.
The team is 5-0 in the OAA Red Division and their hitting has remained solid at a collective .413 average.
“Hitting was my big concern and there hasn’t been a problem,” Woityra said. “We’ve scored 203 runs and we’ve only given up 66, so we’re doing real well.”
Sophomore shortstop Kasidy Carson is leading the team in batting with a .545 average. Freshman shortstop Tessa Nuss in hitting .537.
Catcher and first baseman sophomore Susan Bielecki is hitting .439 and has 29 RBI while All-state pitcher/first baseman Shelby Misiak is hitting .400 with 33 RBI and three home runs.
Pitching has been solid as well with senior Sierra Gonzalez at 12-1 and junior Lexi Aguilar is 6-1.
Lake Orion had games this week against Oxford on Tuesday and Troy away on Thursday.
Woityra said once the weather improves he plans on working the kinks out and correcting some of the mistakes made over the weekend.
The season end in three weeks and Woityra said it’s important to play some good teams to be prepared.
“We knew the reason we go to different places like this is to play the best teams we could’ve played so we’re ready for the districts,” he said. “The 20th victory we came from behind so I think the team knows we can beat anybody but we have to eliminate the mental and physical mistakes, Physical mistakes will happen, it’s the mental mistakes that we have control over.”