Summerfield, Monroe St. Mary headed to state softball action
6/14/2007Summerfield and Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central are heading west. The destination - Michigan softball semifinals occurring tomorrow at Bailey Park in Battle Creek, Mich.
For Summerfield, it's a return trip after finishing last season as the Division 4 state runner-up. For SMCC, it's the first venture to a Division 3 state semifinal in nearly a decade.
Summerfield (33-5) reached the state semifinals by rolling to a 6-1 triumph over North Muskegon in a state quarterfinal on Tuesday. The Bulldogs, led by sophomore pitching sensation Jordan Ratliff, will face Frankfort (37-5) at 10:30 a.m., before SMCC (25-10) meets Portland (42-3).
Summerfield, which lost in the state title game a year ago to Allen Park Cabrini, is a veteran team anchored by several returning starters, including Ratliff and senior infielder Brittney Faunce. Ratliff tossed a one-hitter in the Bulldogs' quarterfinal victory over North Muskegon while Faunce recorded two hits and drove in two runs to help the cause.
SMCC leans heavily on its pitcher, Megan Drabek, and a steady defense. Drabek, a senior, allowed only two hits in SMCC's 2-1 win over Napoleon in a state quarterfinal on Tuesday.
The Notre Dame Academy crew program garnered a sixth-place finish at the prestigious U.S. Rowing National Champ-ionships last weekend.
The Eagles varsity lightweight eight finished sixth out of 20 boats in its division at the national championships in Cincinnati.
The rowers are Katie Fell, Katelyn Kurt, Sarah Keller, Anna Farrell, Linda Scheiber, Jill Ireland, Danielle Bishop, and Chelsea Wymer. The boat's coxswain is Breanna Davis.