Courtesy Photo The ACC softball team is pictured. On Sunday, the Lumberjacks extended their winning streak to nine games and securing a playoff spot for the first time since 2010.

ALPENA — For the first time since 2010, the Alpena Community College softball team is headed back to the playoffs.

The Lumberjacks completed a remarkable regular season turnaround on Sunday, beating Schoolcraft 13-5 and 17-4, stretching their winning streak to nine games.

Alpena (17-18) secured third place in the conference and is 17-7 since April 1 and 13-2 in its last 15 games.

Stats from Sunday’s games will be available in a future edition of The News.

On Saturday, the Lumberjacks pounded out 26 hits between two games — including four home runs — en route to beating Mott 8-7 and 10-6.

Paige Wooden hit two home runs for ACC, including a grand slam in the second game and finished the day with four hits and eight RBI.

Brooke Ciarkowski scored the winning run for ACC in the first game, coming in to score when Mollie Girard popped into a double play.

ACC led 3-0 after one inning and 7-4 after two innings and Mott tied the game with three runs in the third inning.

The Lumberjacks displayed some power early as Wooden hit a three-run homer to center field. Ciarkowski followed in the second inning with a three-run shot down the left field line.

Jade Schultz pitched a complete game for ACC, scattering 12 hits and striking out six.

Dayna LaBell, Ciarkowski and Kayla Metty each had three hits for ACC. Wooden, Schultz and Riley Alexander each had two hits.

ACC trailed early in the second game, but took control with a five-run sixth inning. Wooden broke a 5-5 tie with a grand slam that also scored LaBell, Schultz and Girard.

Schultz hit a two-run homer in the third inning, Aubree Sheldon had a sac fly in the fifth inning and LaBell had singled to score a run in the sixth, just before Wooden’s home run.

Schultz threw another complete game, allowing six runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts.

LaBell led Alpena with three hits and Wooden had two and four RBI. Sheldon had a hit and two RBI and Schultz scored three runs.

BASEBALL

Midland takes 2 from Alpena

ALPENA — Comeback efforts by the Alpena baseball team fell a little short on Saturday as the Wildcats lost a home doubleheader to Midland 12-8 and 14-13.

Alpena fell behind 8-3 in the opener and closed the deficit to 8-7 after a four-run fifth inning. The Chemics closed things out by outscoring Alpena 4-1 in the final two innings.

Matt Thompson hit two home runs for the Wildcats including a grand slam in the fifth inning. He finished the game with five RBI after a solo shot in the fourth.

Keegan Hahn and Logan Momrik added two hits each for Alpena.

In the second game, Alpena trailed 14-9 after six innings, but scored four in the seventh before falling a run short.

With two outs in seventh and runners on second and third, Charlie Williams came in to score on a dropped third strike. Thompson followed with an RBI double and two batters later, Ryan singled home two runs to make it 14-13.

Travis Weide hit a grand slam for Alpena in the bottom of the second inning to give Alpena an 8-4 lead. He had two hits and five RBI for the game.

Williams added two hits.

SOFTBALL

Rogers City splits with Sault Ste. Marie

ROGERS CITY — The Rogers City softball team split a doubleheader at home against Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, losing 17-15 and winning 26-17.

The Hurons (2-8) led 9-1 at one point in the first game, but Sault rallied back to win the game.

In the second game, Kaitlin Nowicki broke a 16-16 tie with a grand slam to put the Hurons ahead in the sixth inning.

Mackenzie Bruning had seven hits on the day for the Hurons, including two doubles and a triple with three RBIs; Jeffra Dittmar had five hits and four RBI; Nowicki had three hits and five RBI; Karissa Rabeau had three hits and four RBIs; Chloe Hentkowski and Reagan Comerford both had three hits and two RBIs; Grace Garrison had three hits including a double; Taylor Krentz and Ila Bisson both had a hit; Krentz was the winning pitcher in the second game.

The Hurons will be at Posen on Monday.

JV BASEBALL

Alpena wins Frankenmuth Tournament

FRANKENMUTH — The Alpena JV baseball team continued its hot start to the season by winning the Frankenmuth Tournament on Saturday.

Alpena topped Holt 11-0 and then defeated Frankenmuth 4-1 in the title game.

Frankenmuth scored a run in the first inning of the title game, but Alpena answered back with two runs in the second and one each in the third and fifth innings.

Brady Pagels, Jake Zann and Jon Rensberry each had two hits for Alpena and Zann, Landen Spomer, Rensberry and Brady Kollen each had an RBI.

Pagels and Kaleb Donajkowski shared pitching duties, allowing five hits, three walks and striking out four.

A seven-run fourth inning sparked the Wildcats against Holt. Brady Niedzwiecki, Donajkowski, Tucker Bright and Zann each had two hits. Zann (3), Bright (2), Niedzwiecki (2), Caleb McEwen and Marc Kirchner all drove in runs.

Zann and Donajkowski shared time on the mound, striking out eight, walking two and allowing three hits.

Alpena also beat Meridan 14-0 on Friday and Donajkowski, McEwen, Rensberry, Marc Kirchner and Nick Lusardi combined to throw a no-hitter, walking two and striking out 14.