Extra-inning win gives Hurons sweep over Wildcats
by Richard Lamb– Advance Editor
It wasn?t exactly the way Hurons? baseball coach Howard Madsen hoped the week would go, but the coach will take it. Instead of winning Straits Area Conference games with Newberry Monday, the Hurons took two games from a strong Alpena squad Tuesday. Needing two wins to stay alive in their quest for the SAC title, the Hurons instead split a pair with the Indians, losing 18-7 in the first game and winning 4-2 in the second. Isaac Freel went five innings in the second game, allowing eight hits while striking out five. In the first game, John Rhode started and took the loss, allowing eight earned runs as he left after the fourth inning with his team trailing 18-7. Dustin Hein pitched the last two innings. Scott Kowalewsky and Brett Karsten each had three runs batted in while sophomore shortstop Jordan Zempel had three hits from the leadoff spot.
Rogers City scored one run in each of the first four innings in the second game, to earn the split.
THE HURONS and Wildcats played a pair of thrillers to close out the regular season for the Rogers City, before district play begins Tuesday with a 4 p.m. game with Atlanta on the home field. Nick Kowalski went all the way in the first game, a 9-8 Huron win. He kept the ball in play as he struck out just two while not allowing a walk. Senior leftfielder Tyler Schuiteman is making serious all-state waves, as his bat has been red-hot all season long. He blasted three home runs in the doubleheader.
His homer in the six-run fifth inning was the key blow in the comeback win. Kowalski added three hits to aid his cause. The second game went back and forth before the Hurons came back with two runs in the extra inning to take an 11-10 win. Trailing 10-9 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Karsten drove the first pitch to right for a single. He stole second and went to third when the Wildcat third baseman threw wildly to first after fielding Evan Vogelheim?s bouncer.
After Ryan Darga struck out, Jackson Bruning drew a walk. A wild pitch scored Karsten, and then Dustin Hein, who had homered earlier in the game, was intentionally walked to load the bases. With the winning run on third, Zempel drilled a 1-1 pitch solidly up the middle to knock in the deciding run.
HEIN, WHO relieved Chuck Duverney in the sixth, earned the win. Joe Finch started and lasted the first four innings, leaving after Alpena closed the gap to 7-6 with a two-run home run off the left field scoreboard with none out in the fifth. Schuiteman homered in the third and fourth innings. Last week the Hurons lost both games of a doubleheader to Posen, 6-5 and 7-5. Rogers City managed just five hits in the first game, with Greg Peacock knocking in two runs while Schuiteman had two hits. Finch, in relief of Rhode, took the loss, allowing the winning run in the top of the eighth inning. Zempel scored three times in the second game on two hits and a walk, but it wasn?t enough in the Posen win. Rogers City led 5-1 after it batted in the top of the fourth. Posen scored six times in the last two innings to earn the win.
Kowalski went four innings and gave way to Finch, who took the loss. Saturday at the Maple City-Glen Lake tournament, the Hurons lost the first game and won the second. Rogers City lost 7-3 to Clare in the opener, managing only six hits in support of the starter, Joe Finch. Schuiteman had two of those safeties, knocking in two runs. Rogers City ripped Glen Lake 12-1 in the second game, scoring five times in the first inning, two in the second, four in the third and four more in the fourt
NEXT WEEK?S district tournament has the Vikings on the top of the bracket playing Johannesburg-Lewiston May 29 at 2 p.m. with the Hurons taking on Atlanta the same day in the 4 p.m. contest. Hillman plays the winner of the Posen/Joburg game Saturday, June 2 at 10 a.m. Onaway plays the winner of the RC/Atlanta game in the noon game June 2. The district finals are set for 2 p.m. June 2. All games will be played in Rogers City. The June 9 regional tournament will be played at Johannesburg.
Correction: A home run in the Sault Ste. Marie game two weeks ago, credited to Greg Peacock, was actually hit by Ryan Darga, who pinch-hit for Peacock.