Harbor Light pitching puts brakes on Hurons? season
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
The brother duo of Andrew and Mark Fila from Harbor Light Christian struck out 14 Huron batters in Saturday’s Division IV regional semifinal game on Steven Schalk Memorial Field, bringing an end to Rogers City’s (20-13) season. Harbor Light (27-5-1 final record), which was making its third straight regional semifinal appearance, made school history with a 3-1 victory over Rogers City to become the first Swordsmen team to advance to a regional title game. The celebration would be short lived as the team that traveled the furthest, Norway, all the way from the western end of the upper peninsula, took home the trophy with a 3-1 victory themselves.
The Fila brothers helped Harbor Light garner a Division IV No. 1 ranking early in the campaign, but Andrew Fila went down with an elbow injury and they slipped to the bottom 10 late in the spring. He made his first start of the season against the Hurons and struck out nine in five innings. MARK FILA, the Swordsmen?s No. 1 pitcher during the 2009 season, came on to strike out the side in the bottom of the sixth and two of the last three batters in the final inning.
“We knew who they had and what we were going to do,” said head coach Howard Madsen. “We just didn’t put the ball in play enough.” Madsen said his club didn’t execute, especially in the area of getting the ball in play. “I knew they were going to be tough pitchers, but I felt that we could put the ball in play,” said Madsen. “They were not used to fielding the ball.? Huron starter Tyler Szumila struck out six and allowed six hits, but allowed no free passes in the contest.
“The three things we preach all year and focus on is throwing strikes, making the routine plays on defense and putting the ball in play,” said Madsen. “We threw strikes and we didn’t do the other two.” BACK TO BACK doubles by Mark and Andrew Fila put Harbor Light on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning, but the Hurons came right back with a run. Szumila reached base on an error by the second baseman and came home on Jordan Zempel’s RBI single up the middle and into center field to tie the game.
Szumila struck out the side in the top of the second, on his way to setting down the next eight Harbor Light. Helping out with the leather at third was Matt Mertz who made a spectacular play with a lunging grab as far as he could reach to his right to snare a liner. In the bottom of the third, Jesse Wilbert reached base on a walk but was picked off. Ben Tulgestke walked, stole second and was left stranded. Nathan Cook started Harbor’s game-winning rally with a double into the left field corner. The next batter reached on an infield error, which was followed by a dropped ball in left field to score a run. The bases became juiced on a fielder’s choice bunt. The final run of the game came in on a sacrifice fly.
IN THE BOTTOM of the third, the heart of the Rogers City batting order came to the plate and all went down swinging. “The middle of the order has been consistent all year,” said Madsen. “They were not able to come through today.” Tulgestke’s double to lead off the bottom of the sixth brought Harbor coach Tom DeKorte to the mound to make a pitching change. “He
Down to their last chance with two outs, and trailing by two in the bottom of the seventh, Sidney Marx was hit by a pitch and took second when Wilbert walked on four straight pitches ahead of a called third strike on the final Rogers City batter of the game. “I am very, very happy with where the team went,” said Madsen. “As far as the district championship, it was hard fought and well deserved. I thought the kids handled themselves appropriately.
“I thought the kids played hard and improved from the beginning of the season to the end. We made a great tournament run, but just didn’t hit the ball today. That’s baseball.?