By Wendi Reardon Price
Clarkston News Sports Writer
Lake Orion — Clarkston Varsity Softball wrapped the season in the district final against Lake Orion on June 4, 11-5, after winning the district semifinal against Oxford earlier in the day.
“The girls had a great day,” said Katie Smith, head coach. “They played hard, even through some unforeseen circumstances during the day. We came together as a team and everyone played a significant role in both games.”
Lake Orion opened the district final with two home run hits over the fence, which brought in a total five runs to take the lead.
Ella Cady put the Wolves on the board in the bottom of the first inning on her 1-run home run hit over the fence.
During the bottom of the second inning, Abi Taylor and Nakenna Knowlton brought in one run each off their hits, closing the gap 3-5.
Lake Orion scored a run in each the third and fifth innings while Clarkston scored two runs the bottom off the fifth inning.
The Dragons closed the game scoring four runs in the sixth inning, putting the game, 11-5.
“The girls did a great job of competing each inning but unfortunately it didn’t end our way,” Smith said. “Overall, the day showed that Clarkston Softball has a lot of talent and a lot of determination.”
The Wolves won the district semifinal against Oxford, 10-9.
“There were some key plays in the first game that were so exciting and kept allowing us to have momentum throughout,” Smith said.
The Wolves finished the season 19-19.
“The whole season was based around being competitive while being good people,” Smith said. “The girls became such a close team and showed up each day playing for each other. I thought we improved from last season and started to play at our talent level throughout the season. There were definitely games I thought we should have won, but we learned from every loss and worked to improve each day.”
She added she can’t say enough how incredible the players are.
“They worked hard every single day and I was so proud of their ability to balance academics and athletics,” Smith said. “We had a lot of fun this season, which should always be part of the experience. We all share a love of the game, so together we have high expectations for our team, but we are also making sure we are having fun and enjoying competing at the highest level.”
Clarkston graduated six seniors from the team.
“We had incredible seniors this year,” said Smith. “They brought so much to the team and were role models for the underclassmen. They demonstrated what it meant to be a good teammate and support others, while also performing on the field as leaders.
“They played a powerful role in getting the job done when the team needed it most. They were all a big part of Clarkston Softball and they will be missed so much. We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors, but we want them to always know they have a home with Clarkston Softball.”

  Clarkston Softball, softball