Pitcher Jamie Lucas spent most of the afternoon with an ice pack after getting pegged on the shin by a line drive early in Wednesday's season-opening doubleheader.
Brent Baker
Lauren Gillette watches follows through on a swing that resulted in the Falcons' only hit of the first game, a double to the right field fence.

BAY CITY ALL SAINTS - Mar. 28, 2007 - It wasn't exactly an ideal start for the Ogemaw Heights softball team.

The Falcons, with only two days of outdoor practice under their belts, had the unenviable task of facing one of the Division IV pre-season front-runners -- second-ranked Bay City All Saints -- and ended up playing most of the day without pitching ace Jamie Lucas.

All Saints swept the Falcons 11-1 and 8-5 in the season-opener for both teams.

Lucas took a line drive off her shin in the third inning of the opener, consigning her to a seat in the dugout with a pack of ice.

Meanwhile the Falcons had little luck in against Cougar pitcher Louise Rezmer, who shut down the Falcons after an early run. Rezmer sported an earned run average of 0.31 as a freshman last season.

The Falcons got their only run in the top of the first inning, when Kelly Rosebrugh walked and eventually scored on a passed ball.

Sophomore Lauren Gillette had the Falcons' only hit, drilling a double to the right-field fence.

Lucas took the loss, allowing four runs (one earned) in two innings. while Colleen Wren pitched the final four innings. Only one of the seven runs she allowed was earned.

The Falcons had more success in the finale when not facing all-state level pitching.

Ogemaw again held a brief 1-0 lead in the first as Rosebrugh again led off with a walk and came in to score on a passed ball.

The Cougars scored twice in the first, second and fourth innings to take a 6-2 lead, but the Falcons got back in it in the fifth. Wren singled and scored on Michelle Berdan's single. Gillette's RBI single made it 6-4, and Jordan Foster's single drove home Gillette to pull the Falcons to within a run, but Ogemaw could draw no closer despite getting two more runners on in the sixth.

Wren, Berdan and Kayla Lehman each had two hits and Foster drove in a pair of runs to lead the Falcon offense. Foster pitched the first 3-2/3 innings and took the loss, allowing five earned runs on seven hits. Gillette pitched the final 2-1/3 innings.

The Falcons (0-2) resume play on Monday at Saginaw Arthur Hill.