Macomb County

Stevenson wins softball regional

By Jon Malavolti
C & G Sports Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by Erin Sanchez Stevenson (26-9) defeated Anchor Bay 6-1 in the Division 1 regional final and advances to face White Lake Lakeland at 4 p.m. June 12 at Madison Heights Bishop Foley.Pictured is Stevenson's Haley Knodell. Photo by Erin Sanchez Stevenson (26-9) defeated Anchor Bay 6-1 in the Division 1 regional final and advances to face White Lake Lakeland at 4 p.m. June 12 at Madison Heights Bishop Foley.Pictured is Stevenson's Haley Knodell.

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Utica Stevenson’s softball team has advanced to play in the state quarterfinals after winning the regional title at Macomb L’Anse Creuse North June 9.

Stevenson (26-9) defeated Anchor Bay 6-1 in the Division 1 regional final and advances to face White Lake Lakeland at 4 p.m. June 12 at Madison Heights Bishop Foley.

“It’s a thrill,” Stevenson coach Tony Misuraca said. “Quarterfinals, here we come.”

Anchor Bay got on the board early in the regional final, scoring the game’s first run in the bottom of the first inning. Stevenson tied it in the top of the third when senior Kristine Fracassa drove home junior Amaal Bonislawski with a base hit.

The floodgates opened for the Titans in the fifth inning, as they scored the rest of their runs. Junior Alicia Curtis, Bonislawski, Fracassa, sophomore Haley Knodell, junior Andrea Deneweth and junior Alyssa Huntley all got into the run-producing action for Stevenson in the fifth.

Huntley, the team’s ace, then proceeded to keep the Tars at bay while the defense backed her up.

“To get this far, it’s got to be a team effort,” Misuraca said.

Stevenson stops Regina

The Titans topped Warren Regina 5-0 earlier in the day in a regional semifinal, scoring their runs early, and looking to their defense and pitching to shut out the young Saddlelites.

“You don’t hit, you don’t win,” Regina coach Diane Laffey said. “(Stevenson’s) good, I’m not going to take it away from them. They’re good. It’s a very tough regional for young kids.”

The Saddlelites finish the year 22-20.

Anchor Bay edges Lakeview

St. Clair Shores Lakeview gave Anchor Bay all it could handle in the day’s first semifinal. The Huskies took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning, but the Tars responded with their backs against the wall.

Anchor Bay tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with two outs, and then won it in the bottom of the seventh, again scoring with two outs.

“I don’t think we were expected to win this game, but I knew that we would play them very hard,” Lakeview coach Paul Knight said. “We played a great game today.”

The Huskies finish the season 14-15.

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Jon Malavolti at jmalavolti@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1040. Follow Jon on Twitter.