Posen faces St. Mary in baseball district opener
It?s a familiar post-season opponent for the male athletes from Posen High School as the Viking baseball team takes on Gaylord St. Mary Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the District No. 101 tournament in Hillman. Of course the Snowbirds defeated the Posen football team last fall.
Now, the Viking baseball team will have a chance to get back at the Snowbirds, but it won?t be easy as GSM, and North Star League rival Hillman, are both ranked in the state?s top 10 by the high school baseball coaches. ?I do believe we have a tough district,? said coach Pat Kowalski. ?I?m looking forward to it,? he said. ?I think we?ve had a successful season.?
A WIN AGAINST GSM would earn the Vikings a chance at a bid for a district title at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Posen (20-8, 11-3) had won seven games in a row before games against Rogers City Wednesday (past press time) on Steven Schalk Memorial Field. The Vikes outslugged Atlanta, 11-4 and 12-4, then edged Johannesburg-Lewiston, 6-5 last Friday. The second game of the doubleheader against Joburg and the A-P Super Service tournament in Rogers City were canceled because of rain.
?The Atlanta game was a real good way to finish the North Star League,? said Kowalski. ?We?re hitting the ball real well. More importantly, three of my pitchers are pitching very well and throwing strikes.?
THE PITCHERS include sophomore Matt Ponik (9-3), who got the win against Joburg; junior Jesse Romel (6-1-3), winner of both games at Atlanta; and junior lefty Russ Kamyszek. Kamyszek got a groundout and a strikeout with the tying and go-ahead run on board in the Joburg victory. Kowalski said his players crushed the ball against the host Huskies.
Senior catcher Josh Konieczny had one of his best doubleheaders of the season, going five-for-six, with his third homer of the campaign, two
ROMEL PITCHED 3 2/3 of an inning, allowing one hit and no walks, while striking out seven. As the starter in game two, Romel tossed three innings of three-hit ball, giving up two walks and one earned run, while striking out two. Romel was one-for-two with two RBI in game two against Atlanta. Kamyszek collected two hits with a pair of doubles. Ponik started against Joburg, allowing one hit on five walks, but Kowalski said the passed balls were related to the bad weather.
The sophomore hurler was relieved by Nick Goupell and Kamyszek. Ponik was three-for-three with three singles, while J Richards was one-for-three with two RBI. Szczerowski was one-for-three with two RBI and has been coming through with clutch hits when the team has needed it, said Kowalski.