By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
NILES – All good things have to come to an end at some point and Tuesday was the day.
After 17 games of shut out ball, the Niles varsity softball team finally was scored on.
Mattawan pushed two runs across in the bottom of the seventh of the day's second game at Vella Park.
The two runs weren't enough to threaten the Lady Vikes' 18-game win streak though as Niles took the 8-2 win in the nightcap.
The No. 1 ranked Lady Vikes opened the day with a 7-0 shut out win over the No. 4 ranked Wildcats.
"Two big wins today and we are one win away from winning the conference title," Viking coach Gary Collins said following the sweep. "Niles has only won one in their history and that is our first goal to win the conference. We are right there."
Jenna Ignowski was one strike away from shutting down the Wildcats and completing her 18th consecutive shutout.
The Wildcats spoiled Ignowski's perfect game bid in the seventh with a lead off single. After picking up strike out No. 16 of the game, Mattawan collected their second hit of the game to put runners on at first and second. Again Ignowski notched strikeout. With two outs and two strikes Ignowski got the Lady Wildcat batter to hit a pop fly to the Vikings second baseman. What looked to be an easy out turned into a Viking error that allowed the two runs to score.
Ignowski picked up her 18th strike out of the game and her 17th win of the season and send the Lady Vikings to a 18-0 record.
"Winning 8-2 against the No. 4 team in the state is outstanding," Collins said.
The win also improved Niles to 4-0 in league play. Mattawan dropped to 15-9 and 2-2 in league play.
"I told them to forget about those two runs. Now we start another streak. It's just one of those things that happen, a dropped easy ball. She makes that play all the time. It's just unfortunate and it is just a part of the game. Physical errors are part of the game and its the mental errors we want to eliminate and that is just part of the game," Collins said.
Ignowski sat down 19 Wildcat batters via the strike out in game one, giving up two hits in the game. Ignowski finished the day striking out 37 batters giving up four hits and no walks.
Niles took the early lead with a Nellie Coquillard home run in the first inning. Cricket Fisher and Jenna Ignowski each picked up a pair of RBI's with Fisher collecting a pair of singles and Ignowski picking up three hits, two singles and a double.
Niles pushed three runs across in the third and three in the fifth for the win. The Lady Vikes had a total of 11 hits in the game that pushed the shut out steak to 17.
Nicole Ignowski swatted a three run home run in the sixth and collected four RBIs in the game, adding a run scoring double in Niles' four-run second inning. Fisher doubled, singled and tripled in the game. Shelley Aurand added two singles in the 11 hit attack by Niles.
First Game
Mattawan 000 000 0 – 0 2 2
Niles 103 030 x – 7 11 1
WP – Jenna Ignowski (N, 16-0) and Maggie Ernsberger
LP – Tysen (M) and Doorlag
2B: Ignowski (N)
HR: Nellie Coquillard (N)
Second Game
Mattawan 000 000 2 – 2 2 3
Niles 040 004 x – 8 11 1
WP – Jenna Ignowski (N, 17-0) and Maggie Ernsberger
LP – Tysen (L) and Doorlag
2B: Ignowski (N), Cricket Fisher (N)
3B: Fisher (N)
HR: Nicole Ignowski (N)
Records
Niles 18-0, 4-0 West Division; Mattawan 15-9, 2-2 West Division