By Greg Gielczyk
HOUGHTON LAKE — A battered and bruised Grayling girls softball team reached the championship game of the North Central Area Credit Union Invitational tournament hosted by Houghton Lake on Saturday, May 21.
In the first game Grayling defeated Roscommon, 10-4. Leading hitters included Ashley Branch who was 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs scored and two runs batted in. Shae-lin Kracys finished 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, scored three runs and drove in a run.
Emma Prosser was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a walk. Jackie Bulmer was 2-for-4 with a double. Erin pitched four innings with one strike out and gave up four runs followed by Sabrina Junttila who pitched three innings and got the win in relief.
In the championship game against Standish Sterling the Vikings lost, 11-1. Hailey Pratt was 1-for-1, Bulmer was 1-for-2 with a walk and Emma Prosser was 1-for-3 with a walk. Mallory Hatfield pitched two innings with two walks and gave up eight runs. Sally Metiva pitched three innings and struck out one while giving up three runs. Emma Prosser, Bulmer and Erin Prosser were selected to the All-Tournament Team.
The Lady Vikings had earlier played Boyne City in a Lake Michigan Conference doubleheader in Grayling on Monday, May 16 and held their own against the Lady Ramblers in the first game before losing it in the fifth, 4-3.
Each team scored three runs in the first inning with Grayling batting in the bottom of the inning. Boyne City won the game with a solo home run in the fifth to take the win. Boyne had come into the game undefeated in the conference coming in.
Leading hitters in the game for the Vikings included Erin Prosse who was 2-for-3 with a double, stolen base and scored a run. Emma Prosser was 1-for-3 with two runs batted in. Sally Metiva pitched 4 1/3 innings and struck out four while allowing four runs and two walks. Erin Prosser came in to pitch the last 1 2/3 innings and gave up one walk and had two strike outs.
The second game was typical of how the Vikings have played of late with one good game a night. But there are extenuating circumstances with injuries sidelining several starters and forcing Golnick to use younger and inexperienced players in their place.
Grayling couldn’t put the brakes on the Ramblers’ offense in the nightcap and they ended up losing, 16-5. At the plate Emma Prosser was 1-for-2 with a stolen base, a walk and a RBI. Brittany Nielson was 1-for-3 with a double, Hailey Pratt was 1-for-1 and Shae-lin Kraycs and Chrissy Bonamie each had single hits.
Erin Prosser threw one inning and registered two strike outs but gave up 10 runs. Mallory Hatfield came in and pitched four innings with three strike outs, two walks and gave up five runs.
Grayling followed that with another conference doubleheader at East Jordan on Tuesday, May 17 with only nine players available because of injuries. But the Vikings won the first game, 9-6 after trailing 6-0 going into the top of the fifth. Grayling scored four in the fifth and five in the sixth.
Savannah Klapec was 2-for-3 with a walk, scored a run and drove in two to lead the Vikings at the plate. Following her was Bonamie who was 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs. Emma Prosser was 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and two runs scored. Kraycs was 2-for-4 and scored a run.
Erin Prosser picked up the win with three innings of relief pitching with four strike outs, one walk and gave up two runs. Metiva struck out three with no walks and gave up four runs in three innings pitched.
Grayling lost the nightcap, 5-3 as Metiva went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored to lead the Vikings at the plate. Bonamie was 1-for-2 with two walks. Kraycs and Jackie Bulmer each had a double. Erin Prosser struck out one, walked two and gave up five runs in five innings of work.
Grayling is 11-16 overall and 7-5 in the LMC.
