Posted Saturday, June 5, 2021

   Pontiac Notre Dame Preparatory scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to beat Armada 4-2 to earn the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2, District 59 softball championship on Saturday, June 5, at Notre Dame Prep.

   Annie Wachowiak walked to start the eighth. She was sacrificed to second, and advanced to third. Ryann Simmonds drove in Wachowiak with a single for the eventual game-winning run. Simmonds worked her way to third base and scored an insurance run on an Ella Easterwood single.

   Wachowiak retired the Tigers in order in the bottom of the inning to close the game and earn the victory on the mound, going two innings and

retiring all six batters she faced.

  Simmonds went six solid innings to start the game, allowing one earned run and striking out two.

   Down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Simmonds singled and was sacrificed to second. She scored the game-tying run on a two-out single by Elena Schwegman.

   The Irish led 1-0 after the fourth, as Wachowiak singled and scored on a single by Amanda Roth.

   The Tigers took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

   Notre Dame Prep powered past Cranbrook Kingswood 18-0 in a three-inning mercy in their semifinal. Armada beat Macomb Lutheran North 3-1 in the other semifinal.

   Notre Dame Prep advances to face Marysville (27-6) in the Region 15 semifinals on Saturday, June 12, at Armada.