In a game filled with expected events and surprises, fantastic plays and sloppy decisions Lake Orion’s Varsity Softball team nailed a solid win over Swartz Creek.
While the win was definite, the game was filled with fist-pumping close plays and headache inducing mistakes alike – sometimes at the same time.
Swartz Creek took an early lead, 2-0, in the first inning after hitting a two run home run. Lake Orion shut them down quickly, but thanks to a sharp catch from Swartz Creek’s pitcher, couldn’t capitalize on the two runners on base.
The second inning saw the Green and White Dragons defending their territory efficiently, even going so far as to put one Swartz Creek runner in a pickle between third base and home. A solid round of pitching from junior Kaitlin Kogut finished got the third out.
Lake Orion, perhaps wishing to play copy cat in more than name, tied the game. Moreover, they too managed to have a runner trapped in a pickle between third and home, yet thanks to a little agility and accuracy, the Lake Orion runner snuck by her pursuers, scoring Lake Orion’s third run. Another two runs gave the Dragons a good lead, 5-2.
The fourth inning passed uneventfully while the fifth saw Lake Orion display their defensive capability. A low line drive near second base stopped in Lake Orion’s second baseman’s glove, who then, prone, tossed it to the shortstop for one out. The shortstop quickly relayed to home plate, stopping the Swartz Creek runner and creating the third pickle of the game between the two, now infamous, bases.
Swartz Creek fought back, putting one more run on the scoreboard before relinquishing control of the bat to Lake Orion, yet a quick one, two, three out inning for the Green and White soon saw through to the sixth inning.
Lake Orion returned the quick inning, and got back to scoring runs quickly in the sixth, scoring three runs before a single out could be mustered. Perhaps even more could have been score, yet a poor call on a runner rounding third threw confusion into the play.
One runner was called out when a throw arrived late at third. During the ensuing argument, and thanks to poor indication from the ref, another Lake Orion runner came into third, and was called out. Head coach Joe Woityra was quick to challenge the calls, and after gaining support from the second referee, one runner was sent back to second, though the first call remained.
Yet the Lake Orion Dragons took the blow in stride, and soon after being sent back to second base, the Lake Orion Dragon was on home plate after a sloppy return was mishandled, mis-caught, and thrown wide. Swartz Creek went down fighting in the seventh, bringing the score to 9-5. Lake Orion finished the game with two Swartz Creek runners on base and a full count at bat.
The Lady Dragons play on Wednesday against rivals to the north – Oxford.