By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
EDWARDSBURG – A tough week for top ranked Niles ended on a high note Saturday afternoon as the Lady Vikings captured their first district softball championship since 1993.
Niles (33-2) crushed host Edwardsburg in the semifinals and then routed Big 16 Conference West Division foe St. Joseph in the finals to claim the hardware.
The championship was dedicated to sophomore reserve Brittney Buti, whose mother died on Wednesday. Buti was suited up on Saturday and scored a pair of runs in the championship game.
"This has been a rough week for our kids," Niles coach Gary Collins said following the title game.
"My teammates told me that they made a special dedication in honor of my mom," Buti said. "I didn't know what it was until I got here. My teammates told me that I had to get my ribbon and the ribbon has my mom's initials on it."
Understandably, Niles could have been distracted, but didn't appear to be in defeating Edwardsburg in the second semifinal 15-0 and then blanking St. Joseph in the title game 10-0.
Despite a strong wind blowing in, Niles crushed the ball all over the park on Saturday.
The Lady Vikings finished with 23 hits, including 10 extra base hits. Niles hit three home runs in the first game, five doubles and a triple.
"We demolished the ball today," Collins said. "On a day, quite honestly, that I didn't think we could do that."
The Lady Vikings scored seven runs in the third inning to blow open the championship game.
Niles scored four unearned runs in the sixth inning to end the game via the mercy rule.
In the third inning, Nellie Coquillard, who broke the school record for doubles in a season, drove in a run with a two-bagger. Niles also got RBI singles from Shelley Aurand and Karly Kennedy.
A pair of Lady Bears' errors led to four additional runs.
Two more St. Joseph errors led the four Niles runs in the final inning.
Jenna Ignowski (32-2) picked up the victory as she tossed a one-hitter with 12 strikouts.
Niles finished with eighth hits in the contest.
St. Joseph reached the finals with a 3-1 win over Dowagiac in the opening game.
The Lady Bears scored twice in the first inning on two-out singles by Alison DiVanni and Meghan DiVanni. St. Joseph's third run came on a two-our RBI single by Kayla Mahler in the third inning.
The Chieftains' lone run came in the second inning on an RBI single by Stephanie Grabemeyer.
Grabemeyer was 3-for-4 in the contest.
Dowagiac (22-10) was outhit by St. Joseph 8-7.
Sam Helsley was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Sara Cobb. Miranda East (13-6) took the loss for the Chieftains.
"We gave ourselves every opportunity to win by putting runners in scoring position, but just couldn't get the hit to get them in," Dowagiac coach Mike Behnke said. "I know at one point we left 10 runners on base and nine in scoring position. Give credit to St. Joe, they got two hits with runners in scoring position and made the pitches to get out of innings.
"Overall, I am very proud of this team. We weren't expected to do much this year and we competed for conference and ended up with 22 wins and only 10 losses," he added.
In the second semifinal, Niles scored six runs in the third and fourth innings and then a three-run home run by Coquillard ended the game in the fourth.
Niles also got home runs from Ignowski and Maggie Ernsberger, while Erika Gordon had a triple. The Lady Vikings got a pair of doubles from Heather Daniels, as well as doubles from Coquillard, Cricket Fisher and Nicole Ignowski.
In all, Niles finished with 15 hits. Coquillard had three of them and drove in six runs.
Jenna Ignowski picked up her 12th no-hitter as she struck out 13 Lady Eddies.
Edwardsburg (21-10) had just one base runner as losing pitcher Jeni Bollenbacher advanced to first after striking out on a passed ball.
Niles will now travel to Otsego on Saturday to compete in the Division 2 regional tournament.
The Lady Vikings will take on Allegan district winner Coloma in the first game at 10 a.m.
Championship Game
Niles 007 004 – 11 8 0
St. Joseph 000 000 – 0 1 4
WP – Jenna Ignowski (N, 32-2) and Maggie Ernsberger
LP – Sam Helsley (SJ), Kaitlin Mavis (3) and Sara Cobb
2B: Nellie Coquillard (N)
Records
Niles 33-2, St. Joseph 19-18
Second Game
Edwardsburg 000 0 – 0 0 1
Niles 066 3 – 15 15 0
WP – Jenna Ignowski (N, 31-2) and Maggie Ernsberger
LP – Jeni Bollenbacher (E) and Deb Burton
2B: Nellie Coquillard (N), Cricket Fisher (N), Nicole Ignowski (N), Heather Daniels 2 (N)
3B: Erica Gordon (N)
HR: Jenna Ignowski (N), Ernsberger (N), Coquillard (N)
Records
Edwardsburg 21-10
First Game
St. Joseph 201 000 0 – 3 8 0
Dowagiac 010 000 0 – 1 7 1
WP – Sam Helsley (SJ, 3), Sara Cobb and Alex Wittman, Cobb (3)
LP – Miranda East (D, 13-6) and Torie Lowe
2B: Cobb (S), Wittman (S)
Record
Dowagiac 22-10