SSC's Alyssa Bonnau beats out a grounder to first base as Ogemaw's Theresa Wymer awaits the throw.
Linda Eyer
This was a familiar sight for both teams Monday -- runners speeding around third base and heading for home -- as SSC and Ogemaw combined for 52 runs in their doubleheader split.

STANDISH-STERLING - Apr. 17, 2007 - Runs weren't exactly hard to come by during Monday's Ogemaw Heights - Standish-Sterling softball doubleheader.

The Falcons and Panthers split two games of their no-lead-is-safe twinbill, with SSC taking a 10-8 victory in the opener and Ogemaw bouncing back for a 20-14 win in the second game.

The relatively sane first game was highlighed by SSC's five-run fourth inning that broke a 3-3 tie. Terra Hartley, Lindsay Nelson, Ellen Walderzak and Schylur McLean each led off with hits, and after an Ogemaw error and an out, Olivia Picard doubled and Tiffany Belanger singled to cap the inning.

Ogemaw tried to rally from a 10-5 deficit in the seventh with three runs, sparked by Jenna Zettel's two-out, two-run single, but SSC pitcher Barbara Filipeck recorded the final out with the tying run at the plate.

Filipeck allowed seven hits and didn't walk a batter until the seventh inning, striking out nine. Jamie Lucas took the loss for Ogemaw, allowing 11 hits and two walks while striking out five.

Zettel had three hits and three RBIs to lead the Falon offense, while Michelle Berdan had a double and two RBIs and Lucas scored three runs.

Nelson had three hits and scored three runs to lead SSC, while Alyssa Bonnau had two his, Picard had a double and scored twice and Tiffany Belanger had two hits and two RBIs.

The Falcons had to hold on in the second game after building a 15-1 lead. in the top of the fourth inning. SSC narrowly staved off a three-inning mercy, then scored four runs in the bottom of the third to cut it to 15-5. And trailing 17-5 in the fifth, the Panthers scored the three runs theyneeded to stay alive for the final two innings and got as close as 17-13 before the Falcons put it away with a three-run seventh.

The Falcons put 10 runs on the board in the fourth inning, highlighted by doubles from Lucas, Berdan, Tiffani Rouse and Zettel. Berdan also had a two-run double in the critical seventh-inning rally.

Colleen Wren was the winning pitcher for Ogemaw, which had three hits apiece from Lucas and Zettel and two hits each from Wren, Berdan, Rouse, Kelly Rosebrugh and Kayla Lehmann.

Bonnau had a triple and home run for SSC, while Terra Hartley had two hits.

Ogemaw (3-5, 1-1 NEMC travels to Oscoda on Thursday, while SSC (1-5, 1-3) hosts Gladwin.