Source: MI Prep Zone

Author: MATTHEW B. MOWERY

FARMINGTON HILLS >> When you have the chance to step on the neck of a championship-caliber opponent, you’d better take it.

Otherwise, don’t be shocked if they come back and give you a battle.

No. 2-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy had its chances to close out the defending Division 1 state champs, Warren Regina, early in both games of Friday’s Catholic League doubleheader, but didn’t.

The Saddelites came back to tie Game 1 in the fifth, before the Marlins could get the go-ahead run an inning later, and nearly pulled the same trick in the nightcap, sending the potential game-tying run to the plate in the seventh inning before running out of time.

But the Marlins — who got a bloop and a blast from Abby Krzywiecki — swept the two games, 2-1 and 5-2, to get a leg up in the CHSL Central.

“The thing that was kind scary to me was that we had so many opportunities in the middle innings to open up the game, but we didn’t execute some bunts, we didn’t run the bases real well. We missed out on some opportunities — we execute those things, we could tack on some more,” Mercy coach Alec Lesko said.

“When you have somebody down, and you have a chance to open it up — you can’t let good teams hang around, if you have that opportunity, and obviously that's a good team there, the defending champs.”

After Nicole Belans’ second-inning home run gave Mercy (12-0) a 1-0 lead in the opener, the Saddelites (7-7-1) used two straight singles after Leah Munson was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning to tie it at 1-1.

Mercy starter Andrea Elmore wiggled out of the two-on, no-out jam with a strikeout, a pop-out and a groundout to keep it tied.

“That was a big situation. … We were able to work out of it. I tell ya, when her ball’s moving like it can, she’s tough to square one up. So we always have that opportunity,” Lesko said.

“When we play, we just try to keep the game close, give us a chance to win.”

They did that in the sixth, when Mary Reeber singled and scored on Kryzwiecki’s shallow, two-out fly ball to center field.

“They all count. Tomorrow morning, it could’ve been a line drive up the gap,” Lesko said. “Usually in a game like that, teams like this, it’s a mistake like that, that usually makes a difference. The tough part of it is, they’re kids. You see this happen in the Major Leagues. It’s not with any intent or anything. Those are the things that happen.”

Three Regina defenders converged, but none caught it, thanks to a miscommunication.

“You shouldn’t lose a game like that, a ball falling that three people could’ve caught, but nobody does,” Regina coach Dian Laffey said. “Yeah, and the shortstop called for the center fielder. You can’t do that. The center fielder’s gotta call it herself, and she’d call it if she could get there, but unfortunately the shortstop made a mistake, thought ‘Oh she’s quick, she’ll get there.’ The second baseman stops in her tracks — the second baseman probably should’ve caught it, but if you hear someone else call it, you’re gonna stop. So I can’t blame her for that.”

Krzywiecki’s conventional blast, a three-run homer in the first inning, put the Marlins ahead in Game 2. They’d add one run in the fourth, on Anna Dixon’s RBI double, and another in the bottom of the fifth, but never really put the Saddelites away.

Regina scored two unearned runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Jessie Munson and Hailey Reese, but had another run nullified by an out on the bases before it crossed the plate. Elmore would get a strikeout to end the game with two on and two out in the seventh.

“We’re sitting here in a good spot, but we were here last time. We know we have to work harder,” Lesko said. “We caught a couple of breaks, and it worked out in our favor today.”