The Dowagiac softball team used a four-run second inning to advance to the Division 2 district championship game against Wolverine Conference foe Edwardsburg at Vella Park in Niles Monday.

The Chieftains defeated the host Vikings 8-3, while Edwardsburg advanced to the title game with a 7-2 win over defending district champion Paw Paw.

Megan Soderbloom led off the second inning with an opposite field solo home run. Taylor Hulett, who was the winning pitcher for the Chieftains, drove in the other three runs with a home run off of Niles starter Addison Davies.

Dowagiac (25-14) increased its lead to 6-0 with a pair of runs in the third inning.

A pair of Viking errors, a walk and a double steal accounted for the Chieftains’ runs.

Niles (10-20) cut the Dowagiac lead to 6-3 in the fifth inning.

Dowagiac replaced Hulett with Soderbloom in the circle, but the Vikings used three walks and three wild pitches to score the first two runs of the inning.

Hulett returned with one out and squelched the rally. The third Niles run scored on an error.

The Chieftains quickly responded with two runs in the top of the sixth. Following a one-out double by Marissa Dodd, Hannah Whitaker singled through a drawn-in infield to score Dodd and Megan Huey, who walked and stole second.

Hulett struck out 11 and allowed three hits in earning the victory.

Niles finished with four hits, including a double by Tegan Bays to lead off the game for the Vikings.

Results from the championship game can be found at www.leaderpub.com.

 

Division 3 District Softball

At Niles

Semifinals

DOWAGIAC 8, NILES 3

Dowagiac        042     002     0 – 8 7 4

Niles                 000     030     0 – 3 4 2

Taylor Hulett (W) and Megan Soderbloom; Addison Davies (L), Michelle Crouch (4) and Kylee Myer

2B: Tegan Bays (N), Marissa Dodd (D)

HR: Soderbloom (D), Hulett (D)

Varsity record: Niles 10-20

 

Paw Paw vs. Edwardsburg

A trio of two-run innings propelled Edwardsburg into the Division 2 district finals at 4 p.m. today at Vella Park in Niles.

The Eddies (29-7) defeated defending district champion Paw Paw 7-2 in the first semifinal.

Edwardsburg broke a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Kailee Claire delivered a two-run double following back-to-back Redskin errors.

Edwardsburg extended its lead to 3-0 on  an RBI single by Kaylee Ryker.

The lead increased to 5-0 in the fourth as McKenzie Creed and Hannah Shoupe had run-scoring singles.

Paw Paw (28-8) averted the shutout in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs.

Anna Castelluccio doubled to right-center field to score Mackenzie Earl, who had walked, and Brooke Vantilburg, who had singled.

The Eddies quickly responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Creed singled home Savannah Dixon, who led of the inning with a double.

She would come around to score on a sacrifice fly by Michaela Ritschard.

Ali Strycker went the distance for Edwardsburg as she allowed two runs on four hits with five strikeouts.

Kayli Bowen took the loss for the Redskins.

Dowagiac and host Niles square off in the second semifinal, which was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

 

Semifinals

EDWARDSBURG 7, PAW PAW 2

Paw Paw                    000     002     0 – 2 4 2

Edwardsburg           021     202     X – 7 12 0

Ali Strycker (W) and Layne Stinnett; Kayli Bowen (L) and Mackenzie Earl

2B: Kailee Claire (E), Savannah Dixon (E), Anna Castelluccio (PP)

Varsity record: Paw Paw 28-8