Big innings power Hurons to home tourney championship

Rogers City defended home turf in taking a tournament championship Saturday. The Hurons won games over Posen in the opener and Sault Ste. Marie in the finals. A four-run second inning gave the Hurons a lead they would not relinquish. The Hurons scored two in the fourth and three more in the fifth innings in a 9-1 win. Tyler Szumila locked up the Vikings by tossing a four-hitter with no walks allowed. He struck out six in five innings of work.

Senior right fielder Ben Tulgestke had three hits including a home run, double and single with a walk a three runs batted in. Szumila and Pat Quaine each had two of the Hurons? 11 hits. THE TOURNAMENT championship game on Steven Schalk Memorial Field was one of comebacks. The Hurons built a 5-1 lead against finals? opponent Sault Ste. Marie. They did it with a two-RBI single by Szumila in the top of the second. He also had a double and scored a run, while Matt Mertz powered a solo homer to left. The Blue Devils came from four down in the top of the fourth and ended the inning up by three, 8-5, in a dramatic turn of events.

The Soo?s rally started with back-to-back infield errors to open the inning. Tulgestke got the next batter on strikes, before back-to-back RBI singles. An easy force-out play at second was bobbled to load the bases and was followed by a two-RBI single in the corner to tie the game. The next batter, Marc Pomeroy, came to the plate and hit a three-run homer over the left field fence.

Down 8-5, the Hurons had their work cut out for them, and they were up for the task. Erik Meharg started the inning with a single, and with one out, Alex Jozwiak singled down the line to get the rally going. Sidney Marx hit a slow roller that resulted in a throwing error by the pitcher and a run in. Tulgestke put another runner on with a single and Szumila brought in another run on a ground out to short. WITH THE score 8-7, Jesse Wilbert hit a liner over the infield to score two and give Rogers City its lead back, 9-8.

With the time limit almost reached, the Soo looked to tie the game and extend it into extra frames. They loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with nobody out. The Huron defense rose to the occasion to preserve their lead. Sharp grounders were snared on the infield, two to get runners at the plate. The half inning went so fast, the umpires let the teams play one more inning, where the Hurons put the game away with four runs. The final was 13-9. Tulgestke pitched six innings allowing four walks and nine hits and only three of the runs were earned.

Levi Ellenberger had three hits and drove in three runs while Tulgestke had three hits from the leadoff position. Szumila, batting behind Tulgestke, also had three hits while Wilbert had two hits. THE HURONS had four other games this week, splitting games last Thursday at Petoskey and losing both games Monday at Alpena. At Petoskey in game one, both teams scored two runs in the first inning then Rogers City broke out to a 4-2 lead. Petoskey came back with one in the fourth and four more in the fifth inning to take a 6-4 win.

Szumila started and pitched the first two innings with Tulgestke following in for the next two innings. Zach Sobeck took the loss after one inning of work. Mertz, Tulgestke and Meharg each had two of the Hurons? nine hits. In the second game, a four-run third inning powered a 6-2 win for RC. Tulgestke belt

ed three hits including a homer and two singles. Ellenberger went all six innings, striking out one and walking two to get the win.

Szumila and Mertz each had two hits in the game. MONDAY AT Alpena, the Wildcats took two games from the Hurons 12-8 and 12-1. Ellenberger took the loss in the first game, going all six innings while allowing 12 hits and one walk to go with one strikeout. Wilbert and Meharg each had two hits in the game. Rogers City fell behind 6-0 but roared back with seven runs in the fourth inning to take a brief lead. Alpena scored two in the fourh and four in the sixth to earn the win.

Szumila and Wilbert each had two-run hits in the big inning. In game two, Jozwiak suffered the loss, pitching five innings and walking five while allowing eight hits. Mertz had two of the Hurons? three hits.

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