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In a game laced with good defensive plays and rock-solid pitching on both sides, it was the Lady Devils that prevailed in a tense, 1-0, victory in the Division 3 District softball championship game at Brown City on Saturday. It was the second straight District title for the Lady Devils.

Brown City (31-2) will now meet Lake Fenton (24-15) in the 12 noon Regional semifinal at Birch Run this Saturday. Frankenmuth takes on the host Panthers in the 10 a.m. semifinal.

BC scored a run in the first inning Saturday and that was the scoring for the game. The Lady Devil's Kristen Greene and Marlette's Caitlin King matched pitches and had defensive support the rest of the way out.

Brown City's two biggest plays of the game came in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings.

Lisa Gerstenberger singled to lead-off the sixth for Marlette but was forced at second on a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Kelsey Ramsey. Trying for a double play, BC shortstop Michelle Burgess threw wild to first and Ramsey moved to second. It was just moments later that Burgess atoned for her mistake.

After Ramsey moved to third on a wild pitch, Burgess fielded a ground ball and fired home to catcher Sandi Oligney, who tagged Ramsey out on a bang-bang play. Greene fanned the batter to end the inning.

In the seventh, the Lady Raiders had back to-back singles from Caitlin King and Katie Clark with no outs. Burgess was in the middle of the next big play. Second baseman Mary Miller grabbed a grounder, flipped to second to Burgess, who then gunned to first for the double play

"I think Michelle is really growing into the shortstop spot this year. She's really cut down on her errors this year," said Coach Snyder. She added, "A team goal at the beginning of the year was to cut down on our errors and trying to stay focused much longer. I think the girls have done that."

There was still one more play to be made in the seventh. With the tying run at third, BC right fielder Emily Kalbfleisch made a running catch in right-center to end the game.

Snyder said both teams turned in great efforts. "It was just the play on both sides - both teams made some defensive plays when they had to. It was a very exciting game."

The lone run came after Oligney's lead-off, infield single in the first inning. With one out, she raced home on a wild pitch and a throwing error

Marlette's King, a senior, scattered four more hits the rest of the way, striking out seven. Greene, a sophomore for BC also notched seven Ks.

Harold Tutus, Marlette coach, gave credit to Brown City, but saved some for his team, too.

"We were as mentally prepared as we possibly could be. (Brown City) made plays. I couldn't ask for any more from my team. Brown City's a great team and we just couldn't match their speed.

"We had every intention of winning this game," Titus continued. "Brown City scored with the first batter in the game... but we played our hearts out."

Marlette finished the season with an 18-15 record.

Semifinals
Brown City 10 Almont 0, 5 inn.
BC cruised to a mercy victory in five innings in the semifinals.
Greene tossed a one-hitter and struck 11 against the Almont.
Sandi Oligney did not have a hit but was on base three times, stole six bases and scored all three times. Jamie Clark and Amanda Oligney each had two singles, Greene added a double and two RBI.

Marlette 7 Sandusky 2
A four-run third inning broke it open for the Lady Raiders in the semifinal win over the Lady Redskins. Kayla Roberts doubled in one run and Kayla Brown and Jenna Lange also singled in runs. Lange had three hits, including a double, and Jenna Thompson had two singles, two steals and scored a pair of runs.
King hurled a three-hitter, striking out nine.
Kelsey Paape started and took the loss for Sandusky. Maddie Hale, Kelly Diem and Jenna Stauffer had the lone hits for the 'Skins.

Pre-District
Brown City 2 Memphis 1
Behind the pitching of Greene, the Lady Devils were able to slip by Memphis in the Pre-district game on Tuesday.
Greene gave up just three singles and struck out 12 to help negate six fielding errors by BC.
"Greene had a great pitching night. She really kept us in the game with timely strikeouts," said Coach Snyder.
Brown City scored first in the opening inning when Sandi Oligney doubled and came around on an error and a passed ball.
The lead went to 2-0 in the fourth on singles by Jamie Clark and Amanda Oligney, and a fielder's choice play off the bat of Katlyn Petitpren that brought in Clark. Memphis's lone score was an unearned run in the fifth.
The Lady Devils had six hits in the game, including a double from Greene.