A district title is on their minds, but so too is the health of two of their best players.
The Clarkston varsity softball team are the odds on favorite to win their district, according to coach Al Land, but perhaps a more pressing issue is the health of two of his players in Heather Giroux and Meghan Bonk. Land said Giroux has been showing signs of pneumonia and was held out of practice last Thursday. At press time, Land didn’t know if she would be able to resume play this week. Bonk has been suffering through back problems throughout the season, but has been medically cleared to play. It’s just a matter of how much pain she can battle through, Land said.
‘I think we’re the favorite going in (to the district),? Land said. ‘We’re a balanced lineup and we’re hitting the ball very well. If our middle of the lineup isn’t doing it, then the top and the bottom of the order seem to be picking up the slack.?
The Wolves picked up two more wins last week by defeating Troy Athens in both games of a double header May 19. The Wolves allowed only one run in both games on their way to 3-0 and 4-1 wins. Giroux played in that game and had three hits for Clarkston. Katie Jorgenson also had three hits while Kelly Robinson and Sarah McGinnis were the winning pitchers for the Wolves. The win improved Clarkston’s record (at press time) to 14-11 overall and put them 10-7 in the OAA.
‘I think we’re better than the record indicates. We lost a few games early in the season that we shouldn’t have, but defensively we’re getting better right now,? Land said.
One of the games Land wishes he could have back was Clarkston’s early season loss to the Red Hawks, which the Wolves lost 3-1. The Wolves let several leads get away early in the year to Lake Orion before finally losing the game 9-8. While those losses bother Land, three losses to Troy were said to be some of his team’s best efforts of the year. The Wolves lost all three games to the Colts this year and didn’t score a single run in any of the three contests. But a tough 2-0 loss over 11 innings last month might have been his team’s best game this year, Land said.
‘I thought we played them real well in that one and Kelly (Robinson) pitched a great game for us. I thought we outplayed them. We had more hits and more runners in scoring position. We just couldn’t score,? he said.
Troy is currently ranked no. 1 in the state, Land said.
The Wolves host district play this year which kicks off June 1 at 4 p.m. against the Pontiac Northern Huskies. Should the Wolves adavance, they’d compete in the district semifinal June 3 at 3:30 p.m. against Pontiac Central who drew a bye. Should Clarkston advance to the regional final they will play the winner of Waterford Mott and Waterford Kettering at 5:30 p.m.
Land said if his pitchers, Robinson, McGinnis and Courtney Bollman can step up their play and if the rest of his team can get and stay healthy, the Wolves should have a good chance for a long playoff run. Last year the Wolves won their district with an 8-3 win over Mott and then lost to Walled Lake Western in regional action. However, the Wolves were without Suzie Giroux in that game.
‘Health for us I think is the key,? Land said. ‘If Heather (Giroux) isn’t able to go, that’s a big blow to us. She’s hitting very well for us right now and if we were to lose her that would mean big trouble.?
The Madonna Tournament the Wolves were scheduled to play in last weekend was cancelled due to weather. No makeup is expected, Land said.