BY DAVE PEMBERTON
Clarkston News Sports Writer
A couple late mistakes against Waterford Kettering on April 26 prevented Clarkston from going a perfect 8-0 last week.
Instead, the Wolves went 6-2 in four doubleheaders on four straight days.
Clarkston started off by defeating Sterling Heights Stevenson 4-1 and 4-3 on April 25. The Wolves then played their first two conference games of the season against Kettering.
In the first game, the Wolves were up 3-2 entering the seventh inning. Kettering had two hits to start the inning and a throwing error allowed Kettering to tie the game at three.
Olivia Cook hit a sacrifice fly to give the Captains a 4-3 lead. Kettering’s Lyndsey Reynolds and Kaliah Kapp followed up by each hitting an RBI single to give their team a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Clarkston was not able to recover and get anything going in the seventh.
Linsey Upchurch hit a RBI double in the fifth during the second game to give Clarkston a 1-0 lead. Kettering scored two runs in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead.
Clarkston responded when Trisha Martens hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Kara Wandrie to tie the game at two in the bottom of the sixth.
The Wolves had the bases loaded in the seventh thanks to three walks by Kettering’s Cook, but Cook was able to pitch her way out of the jam and force extra innings.
Neither team had a hit in the eighth inning. Kettering took the lead in the ninth when Sami Tatu hit a RBI single. The Captains scored two more runs when Ashley Halcrow and Ashley Wall scored on a wild pitch and a throwing error.
Cook struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to give Kettering the win.
Clarkston Head Coach Don Peters said he told his team they could play with Kettering and had a chance to win both games.
‘We could have just as easily won both games,? Peters said. ‘This is a really young team and they need to realize they can play at this level and start doing it. We just made a couple mistakes. We had a chance to win both games. We just didn’t do it.?
Clarkston responded the next day by defeating Stoney Creek twice. The Wolves won the first game 6-2 and the second game 7-3.
Megan Sperry earned the win in both games. Sperry pitched seven innings in the first game, with no earned runs and 12 strikeouts. In the second game, Sperry pitched four innings and struck out five.
Amber Giroux had two RBIs in the first game and Wandrie had one RBI and two RBIs in the second game.
The Wolves ended their four consecutive doubleheaders by defeating Utica Ford 5-4 and 7-5.
Sperry pitched seven innings and had 10 strikeouts to earn the win in the first game.
She picked up the win in relief in the second game. She came in during the fifth and struck out four in two and two-thirds innings.
Peters said he thinks having the eight games helped make the team better and he didn’t think fatigue was a factor.
‘I don’t put a lot of thought into those type of things,? Peters said. ‘The spring is weird. You might be playing a whole bunch of important games back-to-back. You might get snowed out or whatever. I just tell the girls to be ready for anything. I just want to play ball.
‘I think something like this is good for us because we start to develop that mental discipline. If your tired, so what. You might go 18 innings in a district game.?
The Wolves are now 10-4 and 2-2 in league play. Clarkston will look to continue its winning ways when it faces Lake Orion on May 3 and then competes in the Michigan Stars tournament on May 6 and May 7.