Lakeview goes 3-0 to win home Invite

COLUMBUS - An opening inning burst and a dominating pitching performance led to a tournament championship for Lakeview Saturday in the Lakeview Invite at Gerrard Park.

The Viqueens (9-2, Class B, No. 4) scored four runs in a big first-inning run, capped by a triple from third baseman Macey Gronenthal after a trio of singles by Nicole Sempek, Jenna Alswager and Danielle Went, and a hit batter.

The three-bag hit brought in two runs and capped the fourrun rally, and the defense held as Lakeview went on to win 4-0.

“We played great,” said Gronenthal on her team's performance. “It was really good because we really worked together as a team.”

Sempek, who pitched the final two games of the day, made sure the Viqueens kept the lead by holding Lincoln North Star to six hits and no runs, racking up five strikeouts.

In the previous game, a 1-0 pitching duel against West Point Central Catholic, Sempek set a Lakeview school record with 15 strikeouts.

“We received strong performances from both of our pitchers today,” said Viqueens head coach Dave Prokesh of Sempek and Telegram Super Senior Shelby Schmidt, who started the first game of the day. “We know that we can't shut out everyone forever, but thus far our pitching's done a nice job.”

The first game, against Omaha Duchesne, was won 10-2 by the Viqueens.

In the championship game, the Lakeview defense stepped it up, and every time the North Star girls threatened with runners, the Viqueens made a good play to shut them down. In the third inning the leadoff hitter for the Gators, Amber Dittmer, made it to third base after a walk, a single and a Viqueen error. The next ball was hit sharply back to Sempek, who knocked it down, but the ball trickled off toward the left field line. Dittmer, who had started home but stopped when Sempek got a glove on the hit, took off for home and Sempek, scooping the ball cleanly, fired home for the tag out.

The next batter hit a sharp one-hopper down the third-base line, but a diving stop by Gronenthal saved a double, and she threw the runner out to end the inning.

“Defensively we were very solid,” Prokesh said. “We helped out our pitchers with several big plays.”

Those big plays have helped the Viqueens to nine wins so far this season, and they will hope to extend their progression at home against Logan View at 5 p.m. Monday.

Other area teams in the tournament were Twin River and Boone Central. The two both lost their first game, won their second and wound up meeting in the fifth-place game. Twin River (10-3, Class C, No. 7) dominated that match, taking it 8-1.

Chelsea Jones went 3-4 for the Titans with two RBIs to lead her team in the final game against the Cardinals.

Twin River's next game will be at High Plains Thursday. Boone Central plays Thursday as well against Wisner-Pilger at home.

Lakeview games

Game One

Lakeview (9-2) 112 24 - 10 9 0

Omaha Duchense 101 00 - 2 5 1

€ Pitching: WP-Steph Schmidt 4 inn. 5 hits, 8 Ks, LP-Walsh.

€ Leading Hitters: Brittany Brewer 3-for-3, 2 RBIs; Schmidt 2-for-3, Macey Gronenthal 1-for-3, 2B, run; Teshia Steuben 1-for-2, Dani 1-for-2, 2 RBI, Jenna Alswager 1-for-3.

Second Game

Lakeview 000 000 1 - 1 6 0

West Point CC 000 000 x - 0 1 1

€ Pitching: WP- Nicole Sempek no walks, 15 Ks (school record), LP- Kreikemeier.

€ Leading Hitters: Jenna Alswager 2-for-3; Sempek, Went, Gronenthal , Brewer.

Third Game

Lincoln North Star 000 000 0 - 0 6 1

Lakeview 400 000 0 - 4 8 0

€ Pitching: WP- Sempek 6 hits, 1 walk 5 Ks, LP-Policky.

€ Leading Hitters: Macey Gronenthal 2-for-3, 3B, 2 RBI; Schmidt, Sempek, Alswager, 1-for-3, RBI; Dani Went, Brewer, Samantha Welch.

Twin River

€ Leading Hitters: Kayla Mohr 7-12, Chelsea Jones 5-11.