Source: Hometown Life

Author: Dan O'Meara

Senior first baseman Abby Krzywiecki set a state record for single-season home runs and led Farmington Hills Mercy to a district softball championship Saturday.

Krzywiecki hit a two-run shot in the seventh inning of the final game, capping a 7-0 victory over North Farmington in the Division 1 tournament at Livonia Stevenson.

It was her 19th homer of the season and 47th of her four-year varsity career.

With one out in the seventh, Sophie VanAcker singled and was on base when Krzywiecki cleared the left-field fence with room to spare.

“It just shows that my hard work has paid off,” Krzywiecki said. “I know I can produce good numbers if I put a good swing on it, and that’s what I’ve been working on.

“My mentality is my No. 1 thing. I’ve been working on mechanics since I was really young, and I think I’ve mastered a lot of things. But I think my mentality is overtaking it.”

The old record of 18 was shared by three players – Madison Jones, Romeo (2015); Camri Grace, Williamston (2014) and Melinda Van Gillis, Pentwater (1979).

Krzywiecki almost got the record Saturday morning in a win over Harrison, but the ball hit the foul-ball pole and bounced back into the field of play.

“It hit the top of the fence and it rolled back in,” Krzywiecki said. “I’ve never seen that. It was frustrating, so I thought, ‘I’ll hit it harder next time.’

“I wasn’t trying (to hit it out in the second game), but I was excited for that one. It was a good feeling. It was a great moment.”

Krzywiecki also had an RBI double that scored Anna Dixon in the fifth inning to extend the Mercy lead to 5-0.

In a three-run third, the Marlins loaded the bases when Dixon was hit by a pitch between a pair of singles by Mary Reeber and Krzywiecki.

Cari Padula’s sacrifice fly to left field scored the first run, and Nicole Belans followed with a two-run double.

“I can’t express how happy I am that we won,” Krzywiecki said. “We played a great game, but I don’t think that was our ‘A’ game. I’m eager to see how good we can get.

“We have a lot of talent, but I think our team work and our mentality is what will take us even farther.”

Andrea Elmore pitched a four-hit shutout. North loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning but failed to score.

Jordan Taylor received the lone walk issued by Elmore, and Ashley Ikner and Ryan Walker had back-to-back hits. Elmore ended the inning with a strikeout.

Sam Cherney hit a two-out double in the first inning for the Raiders, and pitcher Alexa Cherney singled in the sixth inning.

After the second inning, Elmore faced just two batters over the minimum in the final five. Sam Cherney also reached in the sixth on an error.

Mercy (37-2) advances to the regional tournament at Novi High School and will play White Lake Lakeland at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

“I love my team,” Krzywiecki said. “These are my best friends in the world, and I want to go as far as we can. I’m nervous for the season to end, because I don’t want to leave my friends.

“I know we have so much potential to get really far. I think this was a great opportunity to show how much potential and team work we have.”

The Marlins defeated Harrison in a five-inning mercy, 19-0. In the other semifinal game, North overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat Stevenson, 6-3.