Leland won its first two Northwest Conference softball games of the season in a doubleheader sweep over Suttons Bay Tuesday night.

ST. MARY baserunner Allison Korson
reaches third base safely as Suttons
Bay's Taylor Mentzer awaits a throw
Thursday.

The Comets won 5-4, 6-1 to give Leland a 2-9 league mark. In the first game, junior pitcher Haley VerSnyder had 7 strikeouts in a winning effort from the mound.

Suttons Bay coach Jennifer Kloosterman said the first game was winnable for the Norse, but they fell just short. Suttons Bay had a 4-3 lead going into the sixth inning, but Leland’s Kayla Mendoza singled with two outs to score two runs and give the Comets the win.

Suttons Bay tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth with one out and two runners on base. “Haley picked off the runner at second base for the second out and got the last batter to ground out to seal the win,” Leland coach Joe Nedow said.

“Yeah, our girl at second apparently had her foot off the bag when the Leland pitcher threw, getting the second out,” said Kloosterman.

For Leland, Mendoza, Kaleigh Stinson and Danielle Seitter each had two hits. For Suttons Bay, Laureen Schmidt had a single and 2 RBI and Trisha Send had a single.

In the second game, Leland pitcher Dena Popp had 2 strikeouts and allowed 10 hits. “But, she was backed up by a strong team defensive effort, stranding eight Norse runners on base,” Nedow said.

VerSnyder had seven solo put-outs at first base for the Comets and 2 hits. Rhiannon Hildenbrandt had 2 hits, and Molly Harrison, Popp, Stinson and Kelly Lamar each had a single. Spanish foreign exchange student Lucia Molinero had a ground-out RBI.

For Suttons Bay, Elaina Leaureaux and Christa Nesky had 2 singles, and Taylor Mentzer, Kelly Ruthkowski, Schmidt, Send and Caitlyn Smith each added base hits.

On Friday, Suttons Bay lost a pair to Benzie, 12-1, 15-4, in a makeup doubleheader originally scheduled for early April. Mentzer had a triple on the second pitch for Suttons Bay in the first inning, but was stranded without scoring. Schmidt had a triple as well, and Nesky had an RBI.

In the second game, Mentzer, Ruthkowski and Victoria Uprichard each had a single and a RBI; Schmidt and Katie Dupree each hit a triple; Rebecca Reyhl and Leaureaux each had a single; and Send had a RBI.

On Thursday, St. Mary hosted Suttons Bay and won both games, 7-0, 12-6. Eagles senior pitcher Susan Herman dominated in both games, recording a combined 24 strikeouts in the two games and allowing only one walk and two hits.

In the first game, Herman helped her own cause with a double; Anne Kuznicki had a double and a single; and Samantha Herman and Missy Nelson each hit a single for St. Mary
In the second game, Kelly Ruthkowski had 2 singles for Suttons Bay. Allison Korson had a single and a double for St. Mary, Ashley Herman and Mary Lingaur had 2 singles, and Emily Schaub had a double.

Glen Lake improved to 7-3 in the Northwest with two wins at Buckley Tuesday, 9-2, 17-5. Cori Kahler had 5 strikeouts as the wining pitcher in the first game. Haley Sobczak, Hannah Therrien and Kaelyn Thayer each had 2 hits; Katie Drzewiecki had 2 hits and 2 RBI; and Lauren O’Brien had 2 RBI.

In the second game, Drzewiecki scored 4 runs and had 2 RBI; Megan Thurkettle and Sobczak had 2 hits each; Thayer had 2 hits, 2 RBI; and Kristen Pleva had 2 hits and scored 3 runs.

Hosting Elk Rapids on Thursday, the Lakers won first game, 7-6, but dropped the nightcap, 6-2. Kahler had a 2-run double and Rachelle Brzezinski had 2 RBI for Glen Lake. In the second game, Drzewiecki had 2 hits.

The Eagles were scheduled to host T-C Central JV last night, will face Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart at Sacred Heart’s tournament Saturday, and will play the T-C Central JV again on Monday. Glen Lake hosted Bear Lake last night and will host Suttons Bay on Tuesday. Suttons Bay will play at St. Francis tonight, and Leland will host Frankfort on Tuesday.