By JAMES

ANDERSEN

News Sports Editor

HILLMAN – When the Rogers City softball team needed a big hit, Sarah Meredith was there to deliver.

Meredith’s bases-clearing double in the fourth inning broke open a Division 4 district championship game on Saturday and helped propel the Hurons to their fifth straight district title with a 9-1 win over Onaway.

Rogers City advances to a regional semifinal matchup with Frankfort on Saturday at Lake Leelanau St. Mary.

Leading 2-1 after three innings, the Hurons took a 3-1 in the fourth inning after a bunt single by Megan Brege scored Amanda Wirgau. It was Meredith who delivered the big hit three batters later as her double emptied the bases and put the Hurons ahead 6-1.

“Sarah, whether it’s a defensive play or a hit with the bat, she always provides a spark for us. What can you say about Sarah other than she’s just Sarah?” Rogers City coach Karl Grambau said.

Meredith’s big hit seemed to jumpstart an already potent Rogers City offense. In the fifth inning Taylor Fleming hit a solo home run to center field and Jayna Hance had a two-run single.

The Hurons went quietly in the next two innings, but they had already done more than enough to keep alive their streak of district title wins which began in 2012, ironically with a win against Onaway.

“Our girls, that was one of our goals to win the district and we’ve worked hard at it all year and come a long way from the beginning of the year,” Grambau said. “I’m so proud of all of them. We knew it was going to be a tough day today and we played really good softball.”

The Cardinals scored a run in the top of the first inning on a bloop single by Kennedy Crawford, but they were held in check the rest of the way. Pitching for Rogers City, Hance allowed a run on five hits with four strikeouts.

Rogers City took the lead for good in the third inning after an RBI groundout by Meredith and another run from Kayla Rabeau.

Meredith had a hit and four RBI for Rogers City; Hance had two hits and two RBI; Brege had two hits and an RBI; Rabeau had two hits and Fleming had a hit and an RBI.

Onaway pitcher Calley Selke allowed nine runs on 10 runs with three strikeouts and five walks. She was relieved by Crawford after 4 2/3 innings.

A big first inning got the Hurons off to a winning start in their district semifinal against Hillman; a game the Hurons won 12-2.

After an RBI single from Meredith, Hannah Fleming a ball over the center field fence for a three-run home run and a 4-0 Rogers City lead. By the end of the inning, the Hurons sent 12 batters to the plate and added three more runs, including two on RBI hits from Hannah Dittmar and Rabeau.

Hillman, a defending district champion in its own right, scored twice in the third inning, but the Tigers struggled on offense all day and finished with just one hit; an RBI single from Kalen Tchorzynski.

Rogers City finished the game with 13 hits and added a run in the fourth inning and two in each of the last two innings. Dittmar had three hits and four RBI and Rabeau had two hits and two RBI; Meredith had two hits and an RBI and Hannah Fleming a hit and three RBI. Hance and Brege each had two hits.

Despite falling short in the district final, Onaway started the day with a thrilling 3-1 win over Posen in the other semifinal after Crawford smacked a two-run home run to left field to advance the Cardinals.

Trailing 1-0 after six innings, Posen led off the seventh inning with a walk by Taylor Roznowski and with two outs, she was singled home by Kayla Lenard. The Vikings stranded two runners before Onaway came up to bat.

Selke led off Onaway’s turn with a walk and Crawford worked a full count before depositing Jolene Reese’s offering over the left field fence.

“That was amazing,” Onaway coach Jodi Brewbaker said. “For Kennedy, I told her during a timeout when (Posen coach) Glenn (Budnick) was talking to his team, I said, ‘Hey, you’ve done it all year for me little freshman, do it some more.”

The home run brought an end to thrilling semifinal in which the two sides combined for eight hits. Onaway took a 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning when Crawford scored on a throwing error.

Crawford led Onaway with two hits and two RBI and Lenard had both of Posen’s hits.

Posen had chances to score, but couldn’t string together enough hits. The Vikings managed just two and left the bases loaded in the third inning. On the defensive end, Posen held its own as Onaway left the bases loaded in two different innings and left two runners aboard in two other innings.

Selke allowed a run on two hits for Onaway and struck out 15 while walking four. Reese allowed three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and six walks.