Canton Observer 6/12/2008 - Regional Games

Good to the last drop Plymouth softball team battles

Lakeland to wire in Regional final

By ED WRIGHT • OBSERVER Staff Writer • June 12, 2008

On most days, when you beat your long-time nemesis handily, you can sit back for awhile and enjoy the moment.

Unfortunately for Plymouth's softball team, Saturday wasn't like most days.

After the Wildcats upended WLAA rival Northville, 4-2, in a Division 1 Regional semifinal showdown at Birmingham Seaholm, they didn't get much time to soak in the accolades - only 30 minutes to be exact.

Plymouth came up just short of winning the school's first Regional title later that afternoon when it dropped a hard-fought 12-5 decision to White Lake Lakeland in the Regional final.

The split left coach Val Canfield's team with a 21-15-1 record - and plenty of life-long memories.

Plymouth gave perennial powerhouse Lakeland (34-7) everything it could handle for five innings.

Trailing 2-0, the Wildcats deadlocked the game when they pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth when freshman Marissa Blassic smacked a two-out, two-run single up the middle to make it 2-2.

Blassic's hit scored Gina Giordano, who had reached on a fielder's choice, and Jill Brennan, who doubled.

However, the Eagles countered with a six-run sixth and four-run seventh to coast into Tuesday's quarterfinal game, which they dropped to Howell, 3-0.

Sophomore right-hander Carlee Meek earned the win for Lakeland while senior Meghan Patterson took the loss for the Wildcats.

The top of the first was one of the craziest half innings you'll ever see as all five Eagles who batted reached base, yet the team failed to score a run.

Lead-off batter Andie Dawson walked, but was promptly caught stealing on a laser-beam throw to second by Wildcat catcher Erin Rodes.

No. 2 hitter Kelsey Cleary walked, but was eliminated on No. 3 hitter Lisa Maxwell's fielder's choice groundout.

The next two batters - Anna Armstrong and Cayla Meek singled - but Brennan gunned down Maxwell at the plate to end the inning.

The Eagles finally broke the game's string of goose eggs in the fourth when they struck for two runs.

Plymouth senior pitcher Meghan Patterson delivers a

pitch during Saturday's Division 1 semifinal victory over

Northville. The Wildcats lost in the Regional final, 12-5,

to White Lake Lakeland.

(Tom Hawley | Staff Photographer)

Second baseman Plymouth's Beth Heldmeyer prepares

to throw out a Northville base-runner at first base

during Saturday's 4-2 Wildcat victory.

(Tom Hawley | Staff Photographer)

Carlee Meek helped her own cause with a lead-off double before Rachel Hammer reached on a fielder's choice.

Both eventually came around to score - Meek on an error and Hammer on Kelsey Johnson's bunt single.

Meek was lights out on the mound for Lakeland over the first four innings as she faced the minimum 12 batters, striking out five.

Beth Heldmeyer laced a pair of singles for the Wildcats.

PLYMOUTH 4, NORTHVILLE 2: The Wildcats didn't play a perfect game in their upset of No. 5-ranked Northville in Saturday's Regional semifinal, but they came pretty darned close.

Patterson limited one of the state's most potent batting orders to just four hits - only one between the second and sixth innings - to lift her team to its biggest victory of the season.

The triumph was especially sweet for the 'Cats considering they lost to the Mustangs in two previous encounters this spring.

The Wildcats mounted a pair of two-run innings in the fourth and fifth to secure a 4-0 advantage.

Stacey Klonowski led off the fourth by reaching on an error and promptly stealing second.

Seconds later, she scored on Amanda Burnard's double up the right-center field gap. Heldmeyer then plated Burnard by launching a double of her own to make it 2-0.

The Wildcats doubled their lead to 4-0 in the fifth on RBI singles from Rodes and Burnard.

With their backs against the wall, the Mustangs mounted a two-out seventh-inning rally, scoring twice on Jenna Dumbleton's RBI single and Sarah Rounsifer's bases-loaded walk.

However, Patterson got Alexandra Kaszuba to ground out to Burnard at third to end the threat and send the Wildcats into the Regional final.

Burnard went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI for the winners.

ewright@hometownlife.com | (734) 953-2108

Originally published June 12, 2008

Link to live article published on http://www.hometownlife.com:

http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080612/SPORTS03/806120487

Plymouth Wildcats Softball, play hard or go home!
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