Madsen earns 500th win as Huron coach

When Rogers City earned its 11th win of the season in the second game of a doubleheader sweep of Alcona last week, coach Howard Madsen reached a milestone. The win marked the 500th of the career of the veteran coach, an inductee into the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame last year.

MADSEN CREDITS the record to his longevity, he is in his 22nd season as varsity baseball coach, and a great bunch of determined players over the years. ?I?ve been blessed to work with a great bunch of kids,? he said. ?The kids have bought into the system we do and they have played hard.? Another group of hardworking players raised their record to 11-5 after taking both ends of a doubleheader last Thursday at home. The Hurons took games by scores of 6-5 and 8-1.

The first game came down to the last at bat for the Hurons. Nathan Darga started the rally with a single, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Justin Grulke then singled Darga in to bring in the winning run.

Adam LaLonde had two doubles while Justin Kelley added a two-run single in the third inning. Cody Wenzel went the first five innings and got the win. He allowed five hits and four runs while walking one and striking out three. Judd Vekaryasz went the final inning, surrendering two hits.

IN THE SECOND game, Cody Hurst tossed a two-hitter in the 8-1 Huron win. Hurst walked three while striking out four Tigers. Rogers Cit

y came up with two runs in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead and built it to 4-1 with two more runs in the next inning. The Hurons extended the lead with one in the fourth and three more in the fifth inning. Key hits came from Darga, with a two-run single in the third, Jon Konieczny with a two-run double in the second, and Kelley, who laced a two-run single in the fifth inning.

The Hurons? doubleheader with Cheboygan Monday was rained out, with no rescheduling information available. Last Thursday the Hurons hosted Ogemaw Heights and Friday the team hosted Newberry in a Straits Area Conference doubleheader.

NEXT WEEK, the Hurons travel to Sault Ste. Marie Tuesday, and to Onaway May 15. Rogers City has just two more home dates, after this week?s games, with May 19 contest against Hillman and the A-P Superservice Tournament set for May 24.