State semifinal hopes dashed by Frankfort

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

Frankfort’s final inning come-from-behind win in Tuesday’s Division IV quarterfinal game brought an end to Rogers City’s amazing 2010 playoff run at Traverse City West High School. The final score was 6-4. The Huron baseball program shelved another regional trophy last Saturday with a relentless hitting attack at Pellston to earn a trip to the elite eight in the state, and despite having some odds stacked against them, the boys never trailed until the seventh inning, when all that stood in the way of a trip to Battle Creek was three outs. ?IT’S TOUGH for the seniors, because they really came together and made this a great baseball team,? said head coach Howard Madsen. ?We were not all that skilled, but we decided we were going to play together. We made some great plays during the regular season; we started making plays in the playoffs.

?We ended it on a positive note, because we got beat in the quarterfinal. We got to a pitcher we weren’t supposed to get to, we hit balls we weren’t supposed to hit, so I’m really proud of their effort. Yeah, we kind of let it get away in the end, but that’s what happens. That’s baseball.”

Madsen said a key moment in the game occurred in the bottom of the fourth inning, following an hour rain delay, when Frankfort’s ace pitcher Kyle Zimmerman uncorked a ball to the screen in warm-ups. ?(JESSE WIL) BERT being the gentleman that he is, goes to the screen, turns around to throw the ball back. Zimmerman let another go and hit Bert right between the eyes.? The Hurons? starting catcher and leadoff hitter was taken to the hospital for observation, leaving Madsen in a spot. Senior Pat Quaine stepped forward and offered to catch, even though he has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. Alex Jozwiak moved to first and Travis Fleis took his position at second.

Yet, the Hurons still took the momentum. In the bottom of the fifth, senior Ben Tulgestke deposited the first offering he saw over the left field fence to give the orange and black their first lead since they went up 3-0 in the first two innings. Tulgestke pumped his fists as he rounded the bases. The next batter, Matt Mertz blasted a shot to the deepest part of center for a double. A wild pitch got him to third with nobody out, and following a pitching change, the next three Hurons went down in order. ?WE HAD ample opportunities to score up to six or seven runs,? said Madsen. ?If we score seven runs, we still win the game, 7-6. We didn’t do all those little things — hitting the ball in play was a big one, and we didn’t do it enough today.?

Senior pitcher Tyler Szumila carried the momentum into the top of the sixth by keeping the Frankfort hitters off balance. The first two batters struck out looking, while the final out went in the books when Szumila threw a fastball by the Panther. Rogers City clearly had a skip in their step heading into the top of the seventh with the out countdown into full swing. In the seventh, they didn?t come quick enough. Frankfort got the first two batters aboard on a hit batter and a throwing error on a tough play at first. Szumila ran a long way to get a slow roller on the line and had to make a quick throw to first, but it was low, and skipped into right field.

Madsen intentionally walked the next batter to try and get a force at any base. With Zimmerman breaking toward home, on what might have been a squeeze

play, the umpire called a balk. ?THE UMPIRE felt that it was an illegal move. He felt that he stepped off the wrong foot and he asked his other partner and they agreed it was a balk. I’m not going to argue with that. It was my feeling that wasn’t a balk, but they made the call,? said Madsen. The Panthers would get two more on the board, the last on a sacrifice fly to right. The Hurons had a chance in the bottom of the seventh with one out, as Mertz walked and Jozwiak doubled to put runners at second and third with two out. Frankfort reliever Tim Stieve got out of the jam with a ground out to short.

?We just got real lucky,? said Frankfort coach Mike Zimmerman. ?Rogers City is a great team. They are very well coached. We just got a break and took advantage of it.? They will play Beal City in the final four. Zimmerman did not intimidate the Hurons. In the bottom of the first, Wilbert walked and advanced to third on wild pitches. He came home on a line single to right by Mertz. In the second, Jozwiak doubled, and with two out, Sidney Marx delivered a RBI-single. He came home on a RBI triple by Wilbert. The Panthers would tie the score at three ahead of the rain delay. The Hurons finished the season at 24-11.