The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Kudos
Softball players earn league honors
By Bruce Mason, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: May 31, 2007
The 1966 Italian epic spaghetti western style movie starring Clint Eastwood is titled "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."
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At the Southeastern Conference Tournament on May 22, Ypsilanti Lincoln softball Coach Karen Sexsmith could have personally entitled it as "The Good, the Bad and the Well Deserved."
The Good: Chelsea Solvinski earned All-SEC honors. Julie Strimpel and Amy Sirois received honorable mention all-league.
The Bad: Lincoln lost both games against state-ranked Tecumseh and Dexter, with the latter being a 2-1 heartbreaker in the bottom of the seventh.
The Well Deserved: Andrea Porter received an all-league sportsmanship award, thanks to her head coach.
"I'm glad," said Sexsmith. "I was happy for those girls."
Although they were shut out, 9-0 against Tecumseh, Sexsmith said her team "played pretty good" and made just one error. Leading the way for the Railsplitters was Strimpel, who went 2-for-3, and Barbara Hubbard, Leah Sykes, Alexa Anderson and Solvinski each recorded a hit.
In the Dexter game, Strimpel led the way, again, by going 2-for-3, again. Jackie Vallance went 1-for-3. And on the mound, Meghan Deane pitched a complete game, five-hitter, yielding just one walk while striking out one batter.
Thursday brought about Senior Night, as well as a split in a doubleheader against Woodhaven. In the first game, Lincoln lost 6-5 in a nine-inning battle.
Sykes had a hit, Danny Lauth went 2-for-4, Hubbard and Vallance went 2-for-5 and leading the way Strimpel, this time with a 3-for-5 performance. Deane pitched a complete game, giving up just two walks while striking out three batters.
In the second game, Lincoln won 11-4. Strimpel had a hit, Sirois went 2-for-5, Elyssa Henry was 2-for-4, Lauth went 3-for-4 with two doubles, Jessica Pagareski was 4-for-4 with a double and three singles. Anderson had a double, Jamie Lavery had a single, and Strimpel had a hit and also pitched a complete game, striking out four batters.
Sexsmith previously told The Courier that the All-SEC voting process needed to be altered, considering that the number of votes per coach is based on the league wins for their team not exactly a fair process in her mind.
She was happy to see the others selected, as well.
"I got my one (Solvinski)," said Sexsmith. "I got lucky to get my other two (Sirois and Strimpel)."
A prime candidate for All-SEC next season: sophomore catcher Barbara Hubbard, who even started last year as a freshman.
As for this year, Lincoln will play on May 29 against Ann Arbor Huron in an MHSAA pre-district game.
Sexsmith said the Railsplitters were "happy" to get a win for their eight seniors on Senior Night and then laughed after saying, "we're just coming alive and the season's ending."
Bruce Mason is a freelance sports writer for The View and Courier newspapers. He can be reached at brucemason19@hotmail.com
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