Advertisement

Ê NEWAYGO - Kalkaska trailed 4-0 early in the game but erupted for 11 runs in the third inning and shut Kent City down the rest of the way in registering a 12-4 win in the championship game of the Newaygo tournament last Saturday.

Jennifer Spann was the winning pitcher. She gave up 5 hits and had 6 strikeouts. Kent City scored 2 earned runs.

Kent City scored 2 runs in the first inning, 1 in the second and another in the third to take its 4-0 lead.

Abby Merrill singled to open the bottom of the third for Kalkaska, which was the home team. Kara Ponstein hit a grand slam home run to give the Blazers a 5-4 lead.

The Blazers would not relinquish that lead.

For good measure, third baseman Kaiti Jones followed Ponstein's blast with a solo home run to make it 6-4.

Maria Harbour added another solo shot in the fourth inning as the Blazers hit three out of the park for the game.

Ponstein collected a double in the third inning as well and finished the game with 5 runs batted in. Katie Krause had a hit with 3 runs batted in and Merrill had 2 hits.

The Blazers defeated Newaygo in the first game, 12-5.

"It was very cold, and it was tough on our pitchers," Ponstein said.

But the adverse conditions didn't seem to have much effect on winning pitcher Marissa Taylor.

She scattered 5 hits and had 13 strikeouts. Only two of Newaygo's five runs were earned.

Kara Ponstein, the Blazers' veteran shortstop, had 2 base hits and collected 2 runs batted in. Taylor had a double that drove in 2 runs. Maria Harbour also drove in a run with a base hit.

Kalkaska started the week with a sweep of a non-conference doubleheader with Houghton Lake at home last Monday 20-0 and 13-3.

Houghton Lake got only 1 hit off Taylor, who struck out 7 batters in the first game.

Leading hitters were Krause with 2 hits and 2 runs batted in, Jones with 2 hits and 2 RBI, Taylor with 2 hits and 4 RBI while Spann and Kristi Peters each had a hit with 2 RBI.

Spann gave up only 3 hits and struck out 8 in the nightcap.

Krause again had 2 hits and 2 RBI, while Janelle Slater finished with 2 hits and 2 RBI and Jones had 2 hits and 3 RBI.

The Blazers swept two close games with Boyne City last Tuesday 2-1 and 3-2.

Winning pitcher in the first game was Taylor. She gave up 3 hits and collected 7 strikeouts.

Kalkaska scored its 2 runs in the top of the sixth.

Jones singled, stole second and Slater walked. Both advanced on a passed ball, and Spann knocked them in with a base hit.

Spann was the winning pitcher in the nightcap, allowing only 3 hits and striking out 5 batters.

Kalkaska scored in the second, fourth and sixth innings.

Taylor tripled and scored on Spann's groundout to second for the Blazers' first run of the game.

Spann singled in the fourth and scored on a passed ball. Ponstein led off the sixth with a triple and scored the winning run on an error by the catcher.

Merrill relayed a throw from the outfield to Taylor, who fired a strike to Jones at third to cut down the Boyne City runner who was trying to stretch a double into a triple to end the game.

"We just want to keep building on this," Ponstein said.

Kalkaska is 12-1 overall and 6-0 in the Lake Michigan Conference.

The Blazers were scheduled to host East Jordan on Tuesday and then play at Traverse City Central on Thursday.