Lakers Sweep Series from ACC

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. — March 28-29, 2026

The Alpena Community College softball team had a difficult weekend against the Mid Michigan College Lakers, dropping all four games of a weekend series in Mt. Pleasant. The Lumberjacks fall to 1-20 overall and 1-8 in MCCAA Northern Conference play.

Despite the sweep, there were genuine competitive moments across the weekend — including a come-from-behind push in Sunday's opener that fell one run short — and individual contributors who showed what this lineup is capable of when things click.

Game 1 — Saturday, March 28 | Mid Michigan 8, ACC 2

The series opener was a pitcher's duel through three innings before Mid Michigan pulled away. Allison Whitaker started for the Lumberjacks and kept the Lakers off balance early, but ran into trouble in the second inning when Brooklyn Orr's two-run single through the middle put Mid Michigan ahead for good. Whitaker finished with four innings pitched before giving way to Jordan Ashley.

ACC's offense managed five hits but couldn't string them together against Laker starter Bri Halfmann, who was sharp all game — striking out eight batters while scattering five hits.

The Lumberjacks' best inning came in the fifth. Dakota Rachow slapped a double down the line and eventually scored, and Kirsten Neubecker drew a walk to set the table. Jenna Sircely delivered an RBI single, and a Laker error on a passed ball allowed a second run to score. But Halfmann locked things down from there, retiring ACC in order in the sixth and seventh.

Sircely finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double, and Rachow also had a two-base hit. Kirsten and Alaina Neubecker each reached base but couldn't capitalize.

Notable: Mid Michigan scored three unearned runs in the fifth off errors in left and right field, turning a manageable deficit into a comfortable margin.

Game 2 — Saturday, March 28 | Mid Michigan 15, ACC 4

The nightcap, played at Alpena, got away from the Lumberjacks early when the Lakers erupted for five runs in the first inning off Ashley and never looked back. Mid Michigan's offense was relentless, putting up crooked numbers in the first, third, and fourth innings against a rotation that struggled to find any rhythm.

Ava Rospierski was the offensive bright spot for ACC, delivering a clutch two-run double in the second inning to plate both Tracy and Reagan Sides and make it briefly a ballgame at 6-3. Ashley added a double of her own in the same frame, scoring to cap a three-run second that kept the Lumberjacks within striking distance for a moment.

But the Lakers answered with five more in the third, and the gap proved insurmountable. Whitaker came on in relief and yielded four runs over 2⅓ innings.

ACC finished with seven hits, getting contributions from Kirsten Neubecker (2-for-3, RBI), Rospierski (2 RBI double), Sides (RBI single), and Tracy and Rachow with singles. Mid Michigan's Gabi Johnston drove the Lakers' offense, going 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, while Sage Gauthier added a double and three RBI.

Notable: Mid Michigan's Tessa Cameron threw a complete game for the win, scattering seven hits and striking out seven.

Game 3 — Sunday, March 29 | Mid Michigan 8, ACC 7

Sunday's opener was the most competitive game of the series and one ACC had every opportunity to win. The Lumberjacks actually led after the first inning and fought back multiple times, ultimately falling 8-7 in a game decided by six ACC errors that turned manageable innings into damaging ones.

Kirsten Neubecker was the offensive star, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a three-run home run in the first inning, and a second home run in the seventh that made it 8-7 with ACC's last at-bats still to come. The two-run homer in the seventh — with Alaina Neubecker on base — showed ACC wasn't going down without a fight. Alaina Neubecker also homered, giving the Lumberjacks two long balls on the day.

Rachow contributed a hit and a stolen base, while Manning and Rospierski each scored and contributed key plate appearances. Sircely took the start in the circle and worked six innings, allowing eight runs — only three earned — while Mid Michigan took advantage of the fielding breakdowns behind her.

The Lakers scored twice in the sixth on back-to-back singles and a Laker error turned productive, making it 8-5. The Neubecker home run in the seventh made things interesting, but a groundout ended the rally one run short.

Notable: Kirsten Neubecker's two home runs accounted for five of ACC's seven runs and were the most productive individual performance of the series.

Game 4 — Sunday, March 29 | Mid Michigan 8, ACC 6

The finale saw ACC put together its most balanced offensive effort of the weekend, collecting nine hits and six runs — but once again, defensive miscues (six errors) proved costly as Mid Michigan's lineup made them pay.

Rachow had herself a game, starting with a solo home run in the third inning and adding a triple in the fourth that plated Rospierski. Kirsten Neubecker was steady again, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI, and Rospierski added a two-run double of her own. Sandoval went 2-for-3 and scored. ACC's four-run fourth inning — sparked by a Tracy single, a Sides bunt single, a Rospierski RBI single, an Ashley sacrifice fly, a Rachow triple, and a Neubecker RBI double — was the high-water mark of the series offensively.

Whitaker started but was tagged for five runs in 2⅔ innings as Mid Michigan's Johnston continued her dominant weekend with two home runs in the nightcap. Ashley came on in relief and was sharp, striking out four and allowing just three unearned runs over 4⅓ innings to limit the damage.

Mid Michigan's Cameron went the distance again for the win, giving up six runs on nine hits but relying on ACC's errors to keep the pressure off.

Notable: Ashley's relief work — 4⅓ innings, four strikeouts, no earned runs — was one of the stronger pitching performances of the series for Alpena.

Series Summary

ACC went 0-4 on the weekend and falls to 1-20 overall and 1-8 in MCCAA Northern Conference play. The four-game sweep was difficult, but the Lumberjacks showed offensive capability at times — particularly in Games 3 and 4 — and were never completely out of any contest until the final outs.

Series Offensive Leaders (ACC):

Kirsten Neubecker was the clear offensive standout of the weekend, providing power and production throughout all four games. Rachow was a consistent presence at the top of the lineup, scoring four runs and showing good speed on the bases. Rospierski delivered in run-producing situations with clutch doubles in multiple games.

Pitching Notes: Whitaker and Ashley shared pitching duties across all four games. Ashley showed improvement in her relief role in Sunday's finale, retiring batters efficiently after taking over for Whitaker. Sircely made a strong start in Game 3, and while the defense made her line look worse than her performance, she kept ACC in the game through six innings.

The Lumberjacks continue their season next weekend at Delta College with an eye toward building on the competitive moments from this weekend.