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Vikings take two from Alcona in thrilling doubleheader

News Photo by Jonny Zawacki Posen’s Hannah Stone rounds third base and scores a run during the fourth inning in game one of a NSL doubleheader on Wednesday against Alcona at Posen High School.

POSEN — If the Posen softball team was looking to gain some momentum heading into postseason play, the Vikings earned it on Wednesday with two wild extra inning victories over Alcona 8-7 and 9-8.

The Vikings came into the twinbill in need of two wins to give themselves a chance of at least sharing a North Star League Little-Dipper division title.

“The girls proved to themselves tonight to believe in themselves that they can come back at any moment. They knew that there was a possible league title on the line and they had a chance to get a piece of it and they went out and worked overtime to get two big wins and hopefully this is something the program can build on,” Posen coach Wayne Karsten said.

Alcona wasted no time putting runs on the board as the Tigers opened game one with four runs in the top of the first inning. After a Keilee Elmer walk and Janelle Carpenter single, Brittany Decker ripped a one out two RBI double to plate Elmer and Carpenter.

Posen got one run back in the home half of the first when Brooke Ciarkowski walked with two outs and scored on an RBI single from Taylor Roznowski.

The Tigers regained their four run lead in the top of the second when Raegan Eller helped her own cause with a two out RBI single that scored Elmer.

Posen was kept in check through the first three innings, but the Vikings’ bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth when they collected four runs on five hits to tie the game.

Cami LaTulip and Morgan Dubie started the rally with back-to-back singles. Two batters later, Liz Kowalski singled to load the bases. The Tigers were one out away from getting out of a bases loaded jam, but Hannah Stone and Ciarkowski came through for Posen as Stone hit a two out, two RBi double to score LaTulip and Dubie before Ciarkowski drove in Kowalski with an RBI triple.

The game remained tied at five for the next two innings and the international tie break rule came into effect in extra innings.

After getting the first batter to fly out, Posen trailed after Abby Lobaugh singled home Eller. Alcona wasn’t done as Hailee Gordy doubled with two outs to keep the inning alive before Taylor Livingston singled home Gordy to bring home what the Tigers thought was a key insurance run.

Trailing by two, Posen’s Arianne Chojnacki ripped a first pitch double into the right center field gap to score Faith A. Romel. LaTulip reached on an error and took second base as she represented the winning run. With runners on second and third, a wild pitch went to the backstop and Chojnacki held at third while LaTulip was caught between second and third when an a wild pickoff attempt sailed into center field which looked like would score the tying run.

Unfortunately for the Vikings, Karsten was caught making contact with his player at third base while telling her to advance to home and got called for coaches interference for the first out of the inning which sent LaTulip back to second.

The Tigers got the ensuing batter to fly out and Posen was down to its final out before Brianna Kuffel singled home LaTulip to tie the game and Kowalski ended the game with a double into the left center field gap that scored Kuffel.

“It’s all about the girls. The pitchers threw strikes and the batters put the ball in play and we finally got some to drop and our fielders made the routine plays and that’s all I ask of them every game,” Karsten said. “If we continue to do those things we will be successful and fortunately we did for a few more innings tonight and it was enough.”

The nightcap was just as entertaining, but this time it was Alcona putting together a late rally to tie the game and send it into extra innings after the Vikings led until the sixth inning.

Posen opened the same way the Tigers did in game one as they score four runs of their own in the first inning and had a 5-3 lead after five innings.

Elmer reached on an error to start the top of the sixth and scored a batter later as Carpenter double off the center field fence. Decker was intentionally walked and Eller singled home Carpenter to tie the game. With runners at second and third an no outs, Chojnacki pitched herself out of the jam to keep the game tied, but Posen also stranded runners on second and third when Ciarkowski hit a sharp line drive to center field that was hauled in by Livingston to again send the game to extras.

Alcona scored two in the top of the seventh, but the Vikings responded with two runs of their own to send the game to the eighth.

Eller scored on a wild pitch with one out in the inning and Gordy hit a two out triple to left field, but again the Tigers left a runner stranded.

The final heroics came in the bottom of the eighth inning when Posen found themselves again down to its last out when Stone came through again with an RBI double to score Romel who started the inning on second base. Stone hit the ball between Livingston and Carpenter as they both collided in left center field as Livingston had the ball in her glove before contact was made that forced the ball to come loose. A batter later, Ciarkowski ended the game with a base hit up the middle to score Stone and send the Vikings into a frenzy.

Posen finished the regular season with a 14-17 overall record and 7-11 record in NSL play. The Vikings will need Oscoda to sweep Au Gres on Tuesday in order to have a share of the division title. Posen will be back in action on Tuesday for a pre-district game in Hillman against Johannesburg Lewiston.

Jonny Zawacki can be reached via email at jzawacki@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5690.

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