Come back gives Posen opening day sweep; defending league champs are next

After five consecutive cancellations, the Posen baseball team finally opened their season at home with a doubleheader sweep of St. Ignace. A steady breeze from right field to left was not going to deter the Viking ball team from finally getting in the first two games. The work head coach Pat Kowalski put in earlier in the day to remove snow from the outfield grass and at the foot of the backstop paid off, as the boys cruised to a 10-3 win in the season-opener and pulled out the nightcap with a game-winning hit from a sophomore. The Vikings were down to their last out and trailing by one in the bottom of the sixth, 3-2, with a runner on second.

NICK IDALSKI STARTED the inning by taking one for the team. The right-handed batter was hit by the pitch and was awarded first. Brandon Hentkowski would sacrifice him to second, but the next batter made an out before Nathan Strzelecki stepped in and ripped a double over the left fielder?s head. The ball rolled to the fence and Idalski ran home to tie the game at three. The next batter, sophomore Tyson Klecha, lined a ball down the right field line to cap the sweep.

?It was the biggest hit of his career,? said Kowalski. ?It was a big win, a big confidence booster. Kowalski was impressed with the defense, which had three double plays in the doubleheader. Next up for the 2-0 Vikings is the North Star League opener as the league champs, Au Gres, visit the County League Field. Game one begins at 4 p.m. The Vikings handed the Wolverines their only league loss in ?06.

SENIOR-ACE Brandon Hentkowski started and won game one, but since the Vikings? bats were hot right out of the game, with seven runs in the

first frame, Kowalski rested him and had Nick Delekta and Scott Couture log some innings. Hentkowski tossed the first two innings (1 BB, 1 K, 2 unearned runs), before giving way to Delekta (1 in., 1 K, 1 W, 2 H), and Couture (3 in.). It was Delekta?s first pitching opportunity on the varsity, while Couture pitched two innings of shut out ball. Idalski picked right up where he left off as Posen?s top batsman with a two-for-three game. He had a double and two RBI. Justin LaPointe picked up his first varsity hit. Strzelecki also turned a nice around-the-horn double play, after scooping up a sharp hit grounder at third.

Hentkowski went the distance in the second game, pitching six innings of four-hit ball. He struck out five and allowed three walks. Three unearned runs were given up in the game. Couture was 1-for-3 at the plate, giving him his first varsity single.