Chuck?s Well and Greka?s to begin championship series tonight

The best-of-five championship series between Greka’s and Chuck’s Well begins today in Hawks at 7 p.m. after each squad swept their semifinal series earlier this week. Chuck’s Well took two games against International Monday, 27-23 and 24-18, in their best-of-three playoff series. Greka’s and Night Hawk played game one and two of their series Monday and Tuesday, with Greka’s prevailing at the end of each contest.

Gary Rhode drove in the game-winning run for a 16-15 win in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two to put the final touches on a come-from-behind win. The contest was low scoring compared to the 63 runs scored in Monday’s game. The final in game one of the series was 41-22. The win by Greka’s means there will be a new champion in the Presque Isle County Men’s Softball Association as Night Hawk took the title in 2003.

GREKA’S, WHICH came out a little flat considering they scored 41 runs the night before, came back a couple of times in the game two clincher. Down 7-5 with two out, Greka’s blasted four consecutive homers over the fence at “the Hole” in Rogers City.

Eric Smolinski had the first one, followed by solo jacks by Rhode, Mike Beebe, and Kevin Grulke. That made the score 9-7, Greka’s. Bill Koenig from Night Hawk tied the game at nine, with a two-run homer in the top of the fifth. Greka’s came back with four in the bottom of the fifth, with help from homers by Smolinski and Daryl Schultz, which made the score 13-9.

Home runs by Cory Spomer and Jason Weiland tied the game at 13 and Night Hawk retook the lead, 14-13, with a solo shot by Brock Place. Beebe tied the game at 14 with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth.

WAYNE HOPP from Night Hawk scored on an RBI-single by Spomer for a 15-14 Night Hawk lead, but it wouldn’t hold up. In the bottom of the seventh, pinch hitter Rick Kortman of Greka’s slapped a ball in the hole between the first baseman and second baseman to get on. The next batter, Steve Vekaryasz, scorched a liner over the glove of the leaping shortstop to put two on board for Roger Wenzel who poked the ball down the line to tie the game at 15. The next batter was Rhode, who blistered a grounder to the third baseman. He couldn’t field the ball cleanly and the ball rolled away from him and Vekaryasz came home to end the series. Wenzel and Rhode were both six-for-seven in game one, while Vekaryasz was four-for-six with three homers. Jason and Jamie Weiland were both five-for-five and combined for five homers. Spomer was four-for-five with two dingers. Kevin Grulke was the winning pitcher in both games.<

P> IN THE series-clinching series win for Chuck’s Well, Matt Schalk was a perfect four-for-four. Tom Catalano was three-for-four with two homers, while Doug Bellmore had two hits including a double. He also walked twice. For International, Mark Grulke and Aaron Florip had two home runs each. Game one was a littler closer, a four-run win for Chuck’s. John Selke was five-for-six with two homers, while Chuck Krueger, Simon Streich, and Joel Idalski all had four hits each. Three of Krueger’s hits ended up over the fence at the Hole. Streich had two homers, while Idalski had a double and a triple.

Tom Gajewski was four-for-four and went yard three times for International. Cody Hurst (two HR) and Ty Hilla (two HR) both had three hits. After the opener in Hawks tonight, games two and three will be in Rogers City. SIDENOTE: The PIMSA banquet will be August 20.

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