LocalSportsJournal.com

The Oakridge softball team got its first taste of defeat this season, dropping a 4-0 decision to Clinton on Saturday at the Michigan Blue Chip softball tournament in Byron Center. lsj-fb-logo

The Eagles, 27-2, followed up with an 8-1 win over Livonia Churchill, but then fell 2-1 to Byron Center to finish the day with a 1-2 record.

“These were tough losses but we played some pretty good teams and we competed well, but didn’t hit good enough,” said Oakridge softball coach Joe Coletta. “A few errors in the first game hurt us, too, but I told them there is not a single team here today that doesn’t have a defeat, so you have to keep looking forward.”

Against Clinton, the Eagles faced sophomore pitcher and University of Michigan commit Renee Hoffman, who gave up just one hit, to Oakridge’s Alessa Buckner.

Clinton scored three unearned runs against Oakridge, which was plagued by errors.

“They are a small-ball team that gets slappers and they put pressure on us,” Coletta said. “They are a very senior-laden team and should be a prime Division 3 state champion candidate.”

In the Game 2 win over Livonia Churchill, Oakridge responded with big outings from Alyssa Fessenden and younger sister Kayla Fessenden. Alyssa Fessenden posted two hits and an RBI while Kayla Fessenden had three hits and pitched a complete game with 12 strikeouts.

Oakridge nearly rallied in its second loss on the day, to Byron Center, with a Hannah Reinhold solo home run in the seventh inning. But the Eagles couldn’t complete the comeback and posted just three hits in the game.

Sophia Wiard had two hits for the Eagles in the loss.