Whitmer to meet Notre Dame in softball final after finishing off Northview

5/17/2007

Whitmer warmed up for roughly a half-hour yesterday before it took about 10 minutes to finally finish off Northview 2-0 in a Division I district softball semifinal at Rolf Park in Maumee.

Whitmer, which owned the 2-0 lead Tuesday before play was suspended in the seventh inning because of thunderstorms and lightning, didn't allow the 24-hour delay prevent a victory.

After the Panthers failed to score in the top half of the seventh, Panthers starter Kendall Kulakowski closed out the game by striking out three of the four batters she faced to post a one-hit shutout that included 16 strikeouts.

"It was on my mind the whole day at school," Kulakowski said.

"I just knew I had to get it done."

Whitmer (18-6) will take on City League rival Notre Dame Academy in a district final today at Rolf Park at 5 p.m.

Whitmer coach Mark Figliomeni also spent the day thinking about the prospects of allowing the Wildcats (10-14) to come back.

But the Panthers worried over nothing.

"This is the first time I had ever done that," Figliomeni said of having a game delayed until the next day. "It was nerve-racking to have to come back here."

Northview pitcher Katelyn Heath suffered the loss after allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out seven.

- Donald Emmons