By SCOTT NOVAK
Vigilant/Argus

STEVENSVILLE – Missed opportunities in the first couple innings may have lost the Edwardsburg softball team a shot at upsetting No. 2-ranked Lakeshore in the Division 2 semifinals on Monday afternoon.
The Eddies had runners in scoring position in three out of the first four innings, but came away without a runner crossing the plate.
The Lancers had a hit in each of the first two innings, but didn’t do much with them.
However, in the third inning, Lakeshore exploded for four runs and put itself in the driver’s seat.
An error on a ball hit by Megan Hiler started the trouble for the Eddies.
The Lancers went to their short game, bunting Hiler into scoring position and then bunting for a base hit that left Lakeshore with runners at second and third.
Edwardsburg pitcher Ashley Tackett then hit Heather Gusse to load the bases for Jordan Wassterman, who delivered a two-run single.
An error on the play moved the runners up to second and third for Rachel Zwar, who grounded out to the Edwardsburg third baseman, who never even looked at the runner racing home with the game’s third run.
An error on a ball hit to third by Maggie Hildebrand drove in the fourth run of the game.
Lakeshore threatened again in the fourth inning with runners at second and third, but a ground out kept the Eddies within striking distance.
The Lancers made it 5-0 in the top of the fifth as Hildebrand grounded out to score Wasserman, who had singled and advanced to second on an error before being sacrificed over by Zwar.
The Lakeshore pitchers then shut the door on the Eddies as Hildebrand fanned the side in the bottom half of the fifth and when Hiler took over in the sixth, the strikeout string had reached five straight.
In fact, the Eddies went down in order the final three innings.
“We knew that we had to make plays and we didn’t,” Edwardsburg coach Randy Brooks said. “That first pop-up (in the third inning) we dropped and things kind of snow-balled from there for us.”
The Lancers finished with nine hits, of which, five came off of bunts.
Edwardsburg finished with just three hits.
Hildebrand picked up the win, while Ashley Tackett took the loss for the Eddies.
The Lancers edged the Bears for the title 2-1.
Edwardsburg ends the year at 27-10, which is a new school record. The previous record was 25.
“We had a good year and a good group of kids,” Brooks said. “They worked hard and had a lot of fun.”

Lakeshore 004 010 0 – 5 9 1
Edwardsburg 000 000 0 – 0 3 3
Maggie Hildebrand (W), Megan Hiler (6) and Savannah Kennedy
Ashley Tackett (L) and Deb Burton
2B: Victoria Hurst (E)

Division 3
BERRIEN SPRINGS – The Buchanan softball team won its fifth straight district championship Saturday afternoon at Berrien Springs High School with a 12-1 win over the host Shamrocks.
The Bucks (28-11) defeated Cassopolis 25-0 in three innings in the semifinals.
Buchanan scores 17 runs in the first inning and never looked back.
The Bucks finished with 16 hits, including doubles by Devinn Adams (2), Rachel Briggs and Alexis Lenox, who was also the winning pitcher.
Erin Glavin had a triple for Buchanan, which will Bronson on Saturday in the regional semifinals at
Cassopolis, which was in the state Final Four two seasons ago, had just one hit and finishes the year at 2-24.
Buchanan (17)17 – 25 16 0
Cassopolis 000 – 0 1 1
Alexis Lenox (W) and Jayla Carrigan
Olivia Stewart (L) and Stephanie Vlasicak
Varsity records: Buchanan 28-11, Cassopolis 2-24