OBSERVER Staff Report

The Dunkirk Lady Marauders won not one, but two games in league play on Thursday, in dominant fashion. Dunkirk defeated Falconer by a score of 16-1, followed by an 11-1 victory over Maple Grove. Both games were regular season CCAA Division 1 West high school softball contests.

In the first game, Monica Pokoj started in the circle and pitched three innings, allowing three hits with four strikeouts. Ashley Gotowka followed up with four innings of two-hit ball with six strikeouts to close out the win.

Dunkirk scored four runs in the third inning, five runs in the fifth frame and four more in the seventh inning, en route to the 15-run victory.

Kaitlyn Davis had four hits, including a double, for Dunkirk in the first game. Emma Newton had four hits of her own, while Olivia Smith had three hits and Olivia Yerico-Piazza had two.

The work was only half over, however, as the Lady Marauders took off right after the game and drove over to Maple Grove, to play another league game immediately afterward.

In that contest, the Lady Marauders came out on top once again, by double digits as well.

Gotowka started the second game of the day, pitching four innings, allowing three hits, and striking out two. Pokoj finished off the second contest with three innings of one-hit ball, striking out six.

Gotowka had two hits at the plate in the second game, as did Emilee Hanlon, but the offensive star of the game was Kymi Nance. She finished 4-4 with a home run, leading the Lady Marauders to victory.

“This was not something I’ve done before,” said Dunkirk coach Michelle Gilmour. “It was one of those challenges we had to overcome.”

The circumstances surrounding the games were difficult enough, but the fact that both leagues count towards the league standings made the situation even more challenging for Dunkirk.

“With our league being so competitive, this was no easy task,” said Gilmour. “I was nervous that the girls might lose their focus after the first game, but they stayed focused and got it done.”

Dunkirk now stands at 9-2 overall, with a perfect 6-0 league record on the year. The Lady Marauders, currently on a six game winning streak, take on Southwestern on Saturday morning, on the road again.