ST. CLAIR &045; As Glenville-Emmons softball coach Lisa Ziebell examined the scorebook for the final time in 2003, she couldn’t help but look both backward and forward.

On one hand, if the Wolverines had played as strong on defense all year as they did Thursday, they could have had more victories. On the other hand, only one senior started in a 6-3 opening-round sub-section loss at St. Clair.

&uot;The kids did a very good job,&uot; said Ziebell, whose team finished 7-7 overall. &uot;Fielding only one senior tonight, and the way we played, it looks good for next year.&uot;

The sixth-seeded Wolverines came close to knocking off No. 3 St. Clair.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning, and it remained 1-1 until the bottom of the seventh. The winning run scored when the Wolverines’ catcher &045; making her first start of the season at that position &045; had the ball knocked loose on a collision at the plate.

&uot;We played awesome defense tonight,&uot; said Ziebell. &uot;We turned two double plays.&uot;

The Wolverines had three hits, two by Becky Ericksen and one by Mallory Paulsen, against what Ziebell called the fastest pitcher they’ve seen all year.

Jenna Brackey scored for the Wolverines, getting hit by a pitch and coming home when a fly ball by Becky Anderson bounced off the left fielder’s glove for an error.

Brackey pitched a complete game for the Wolverines, allowing no earned runs on four hits. She walked five and struck out three.

&uot;For playing without two key players, the kids really pulled it together and did a good job,&uot; said Ziebell.

St. Clair 2, Glenville-Emmons 1

GE

100

000

0 &045; 1

3

5

SC

100

000

1 &045; 2

4

1

LP &045; Jenna Brackey