By SCOTT NOVAK
Dowagiac Daily News

STEVENSVILLE – Missed opportunities in the first couple innings may have 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 base 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.

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.

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 2 baseball
Walks, hit batsmen and wild pitches cost the Niles baseball team a shot at dethroning defending district champion St. Joseph Monday afternoon.

The Vikings led 2-0 heading to the fourth inning, but gave up a pair of runs.

With the score knotted at 2-2, the Bears scored four runs in the top of the fourth without the aid of a hit or a Niles error.

The Vikings walked batters, hit batters and all four runs scored on wild pitches.

St. Joseph added three more in the fifth using pretty much the same situations and came away with a 9-2 victory.

The Vikings grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Matthew McLaughlin tripled and Rashad Harris grounded out to score the run.

Niles made it 2-0 in the third inning when David Garner doubled and Kevin Gross singled him home.

Garner started on the mound for the Vikings, but a blister on his middle finger forced him from the game in the fourth inning.

Ricky Briand came on, but couldn’t get the Bears out, so freshman Chris Mangus was sent to the hill.

He didn’t fare much better for the Vikings.

Niles outhit St. Joseph 6-4, led by McLaughlin and Garner’s extra base hits.

St. Joe 000 243 0 – 9 4 0
Niles 101 000 0 – 2 6 2
David Brennan (W)
David Garner (L), Ricky Briand (5), Chris Mangus (5)
2B: David Garner (N), Carter Nimtz (SJ)
3B: Matthew McLaughlin (N), Connor Ross (SJ)