Showdown with Hillman set for Monday

The Vikings baseball team improved its record to 6-2, heading into a pair of games against St. Ignace Wednesday, after sweeping Oscoda Monday and Hale last Thursday. Posen had won five in a row before the games against the Saints. The Vikings have a busy, and an important week of action, as they travel to Mio today and then take on their rivals ? the Hillman Tigers ? on Monday in Hillman. The doubleheader, as has been the case for the last decade, will go a long way in determining who wins the North Star League in baseball.

VIKING COACH Pat Kowalski said Hillman has solid pitching and a good group of hitters. The games will pose a ?great challenge? to the Posen players, he said. The Vikings met all the challenges thrown at them in 12-8 and 6-5 wins over visiting Oscoda on a cool, windy Monday afternoon in Posen, games that were not on the pre-season schedule. Heading into the bottom of the fifth inning with the score 8-8, Andy Styma got the game-winning rally going with a single. He was followed by Matt Szczerowski who singled.

Two batters later, Jesse Romel hit a line drive over the infield into right-centerfield, for a two RBI single, to give Posen a 10-8 lead. Matt Ponik capped the scoring with a two-run homer to leftfield. He hit a 1-2 pitch over the fence, with plenty of room to spare. It was the first home run of the season for the Vikings.

PONIK CAME on in relief to get the win (4-1), pitching one-hit ball. He struck out two. Lefty Russ Kamyszek went four and two-thirds innings, giving up eight hits and a walk, while striking out six. Romel was two-for-four, while Josh Konieczny, hitting in the cleanup spot, was one-for-three. Nick Goupell was one-for-two with a single and two runs scored. J Richards had a pair of walks and scored both times he got on. Dave Karschnick, in the leadoff spot, walked once and scored.

All the runs were scored early in the second game with Posen striking for three in the first and three in the second inning. Konieczny, Romel and Ponik all got on to lead off the bottom of the first, and all came in.

THE NEXT INNING, Karschnick, playing second base, hit a double. He scored when Konieczny came up and blasted a two bagger. Ponik knocked him in with a single. Ponik threw five innings of five-hit ball, striking out eight while giving up eight walks. Russ Kamyszek came on, giving up no hits to e

arn the save. The Vikings won 8-2 and 7-2 in their North Star League openers at Hale last week. Jesse Romel won his first game on the mound, with Kamyszek getting the win in game two. Konieczny was two-for-three in the first game with a double and a single, while Romel had a double in three plate appearances.

RICHARDS WAS two-for-four. Adding hits were Luke Hentkowski, Aaron Hincka and Kamyszek. Game two proved to be a little closer until the top of the fifth when the middle of the lineup produced four runs. Back-to-back walks by Goupell and Ponik were followed by a hit by Richards and a double by Karschnick.

Dillon Wirgau knocked in the final run of the game with a sacrifice in the inning. Goupell picked up the save for Posen.