By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
It will be almost another year before Dowagiac and Comstock will battle for supremacy in the Wolverine Conference.
However, a nice little softball rivalry has already begun.
The Chieftains and Colts squared off on Thursday afternoon in a rematch of the 2005 Division 2 regional championship game.
Dowagiac defeated Comstock last year (3-0) to win its first regional crown since the 1990s.
On Thursday, the Chieftains were looking to send a message to the No. 4 ranked Colts that they were a team to be reckoned with come tournament time.
Dowagiac, ranked No. 5 in the latest coach's poll, and Comstock are paired in the same district this season and could meet the first weekend in June.
Dowagiac swept the non-conference doubleheader from Comstock. The Chieftains took the opener 5-2 and then nipped the Colts 1-0 in 12 innings to complete the sweep.
In the first game, Dowagiac jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings only to have Comstock cut the lead to one run with a two-run fourth inning.
The Chieftains (19-2) got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth and then added a run in the sixth to complete the scoring.
Pickar (9-0) scattered six hits with seven strikeouts and just one walk.
The Chieftains finished with eight hits off Meghan Thomas, including a 2-for-3 performance from Lowe, which included a double and three RBIs.
Willis was 2-for-3 with a couple of runs scored, while Calie Daniels was 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored. Kim Luthringer added a double.
In the marathon nightcap, Lowe drove a ball to deep center field with the bases loaded to score Beth Tomczak from third with the winning run.
Both teams staved off scoring chance after scoring chance through the first 11 innings.
Willis picked up the victory to improve to 8-2 on the season. The senior hurler allowed five hits with 11 strikeouts and two walks.
Dowagiac finished with six hits, led by Lowe's two doubles and a RBI. The Chieftains other hits came from Luthringer, Katie Roach, Amy Wood and Tomczak.
Dowagiac will be off until Tuesday when it hosts Coldwater in a Big 16 Conference non-divisional doubleheader.
The Chieftains were scheduled to play in the Gull Lake Invitational on Saturday, but will not take part.
First game
Comstock 000 200 0 - 2 6 2
Dowagiac 030 101 x - 5 8 4
Maureen Pickar (W, 9-0), Meghan Thomas (L, 8-2)
2B: Thomas (C), Aynna Lloyd (C), Holly Lowe (D), Kim Luthringer (D)
Second game
Comstock 000 000 000 000 - 0 5 4
Dowagiac 000 000 000 001 - 1 6 0
Ashley Willis (W, 8-2), Meghan Thomas (L, 8-3)
2B: Lexi Jager (C), Stephanie Glidden (C), Holly Lowe (D) 2
Records
Comstock 12-4
Dowagiac 19-2