Lady Cardinals hitting their stride

By Michael Selecky
INDEX Sports Writer

FLINT — While their conference may be in the ultimate stage of its final campaign, that hasn’t kept the teams of the Big Nine from fighting tooth and nail for the league’s top spot from the very beginning of the season all the way down to its very end.
Next year, Kearsley will follow former conference member Swartz Creek to the Flint Metro League while Owosso defected from the conference two years ago.
In spite of the fact that the Davison softball team may not be winning every time they take the field, the squad is getting progressively better as the season wears on, as witnessed by the fact that they doubled their number of league wins last week in a single day.
Last Thursday marked the brightest spot yet for the Lady Cardinals as they traveled to Flint to play a doubleheader against Big Nine rival Carman-Ainsworth, taking both games to the combined tune of 17-6.
In the first game, which Davison barely squeaked out, 7-6, the victory was only the team’s third win overall and second in league competition this year. Contest number two saw the Lady Cardinals come out like a team possessed as they took a decisive 10-0 decision, which amounted to the unit’s first back-to-back victories of the 2008 campaign.
Monday Davison played another conference twinbill in Flint as they traveled to face Big Nine powerhouse Flint Powers, who is currently 22-5 overall, 12-2 league, losing both games by the combined score of 10-7.
The Lady Cardinals got edged out by Powers, 4-3, in the initial contest on the wings of two seventh-inning runs that flew the Chargers to the advantage. In the nightcap, Davison fell, 6-4. For the day, Angie Adams topped the charts for Davison with three hits, including a home run.
On the other side, Powers got three hits, including a solo home run, from Emily Ockerman in the first game, Lyndsey McPherson took the decision in both games and, in the finale, Kayla Sterling helped secure the win by getting the save.
Overall, for Flint Powers, Meredith Pennell and Melanie McCormick led the offense with three hits each for the day.
Davison is now 4-21 overall, 3-11 Big Nine. They next play today at Flushing in another conference twinbill, next Monday they will again see the Lady Cavaliers of Carman-Ainsworth for a league doubleheader, this time on their home field, and on May 22 the Lady Cardinals will conclude the 2008 regular season at division rival Grand Blanc.
On April 28, Davison got their first Big Nine victory by beating the Bobcats of Grand Blanc, 4-3, in the first match-up of a two-contest gauntlet. They lost the second game soundly, 11-1.
The postseason will commence for the Lady Cardinals on May 27 in Div. 1 action, as they have been assigned to play their regional round of playoff games in district four, which is hosted by fellow Big Nine member Flint Kearsley.
The rest of the district consists of league rivals Grand Blanc and Kearsley, as well as the Eagles of Lapeer East and Flint Central Academy. If Davison wins its initial foray into the playoffs, games two and three of the regional round of the postseason will take place May 30 and 31.
As for the other squads of the Big Nine, Flushing and Carman-Ainsworth will compete in Div.1, district three at Swartz Creek with Flint Northern Academy and Flint Southwestern Academy.
Powers has been assigned to Div. 2, district 39, which is being hosted by North Branch of the Tri-Valley Conference-East and also features Genesee Area Conference-Red member Goodrich, with Flint Metro League members Lapeer West and Linden.