Using a ‘running start? philosophy, Waterford Mott should have had more than enough left for a second game Friday afternoon against Clarkston. But the Corsairs came up short in an 8-3 loss at Clarkston in the district finals, after stopping archrival Waterford Kettering 2-0 to start the day.
The Wolves, on the other hand, were able to sit out the first game due to forfeiture by Pontiac Central in their district semifinal.
‘It makes no difference,? Mott coach Ray Reid said.
‘The advantage goes to us because we played first.
‘I have no qualms about how I threw my pitchers.?
The difference-maker, Reid said, was the number of errors the Corsairs (15-17) allowed in multi-run innings by the Wolves. Clarkston (22-14) posted three runs in the first and four in the fifth inning when Mott made four errors, to pull away.
‘If we don’t have the errors, we would have been back in it. We can’t afford the errors. We can play with (Clarkston) and Kettering any day of the week,? Reid said.
‘It’s hard to play through those. That’s been one of our tendencies, if we have errors, we have more than one at a time.?
The win gives Clarkston its first district championship since 2004 when they made their way to the state quarterfinals. The Wolves will get to play in the regional playoffs Saturday against Birmingham Seaholm, again on their home field.
‘You’re always going to have more fans when you play at home and it’s a comfort zone. They play on this field all the time and they know it better depth-wise,? Clarkston coach Don Peters said.
Peters said the victory was ‘sweet? because Mott eliminated the Wolves each of the past two seasons in the playoffs.
The Corsairs? early game victory affected their play in the nightcap, Peters said.
‘They had to get pumped up to beat their rivals, that was an advantage to us.?
The Wolves? hitting and efficiency around the bases projected them to the win, Peters said.
‘We try to make things happen. We’re a slapper- and dragging-type team and we move the ball around and it worked,? he said.
‘That doesn’t just happen, we work really hard on that.?
The Wolves used a good day from their top four in their batting order, which has returning All-State honorable mention Katie Smith batting at leadoff and Kara Wandrie, Jenny Jochum, and Taylor Hasselbach behind her. In the Wolves? first, fifth, and sixth innings, the first three batters reached base and Hasselbach cleaned up, with a four-RBI performance.
‘She is the catalyst. She gets it started and all three have confidence in her,? Peters said.
‘They’re all similar players. We teach them to do all three, they hit, slap and drag. They stay after practice and they’ve worked hard at it all year long and it paid off.?
Peters sees great potential for his freshman slugger Hasselbach.
‘As a freshman, she’s got tremendous composure, great bat control. She’s got good speed and power. What more could you ask for? To have her for three more years,? Peters said.
Another composed freshman, starting pitcher Bailee Braunreuther, was able to work her way out of a jam in the sixth inning. Sydney Norton singled to load the bases. Braunreuther struck out the next batter, Kelsie Kleine was forced out at home and Kelsie Proper popped out to end the inning.
‘When she had to, she got the job done,? Peters said.