RC sweeps baseball doubleheader with Saints

Baseball season is underway and that means a host of games for the Hurons. After splitting a pair of games with Alpena last Thursday, and a split at the Alcona tournament Saturday, the bats went wild Tuesday. Rogers City got the Straits Area Conference portion of the season started with a sweep of St. Ignace at a chilly Steven Schalk Memorial Field. With Cody Wenzel on the mound for all nine innings of the mercy-rule shorted games, the Hurons took 11-1 and 11-0 wins over the Saints. In the first game, the Hurons scored four in the first, one in the second, two in the third, three in the fourth and one more in the fifth to mercy the Saints.

The Saints could get only one run on three hits. Wenzel struck out six and allowed no walks. Austin Fairbanks had two hits and three RBI and Chris Paschke had two hits and a walk.

IN THE second game, the Hurons again mercied the Saints behind the pitching of Wenzel (2-1), who went four innings in the second game, allowing just one hit, a double, to the Saints, while walking none and striking out two. The Hurons had 11 hits, led by Wenzel, who had a single and a double, and Adam LaLonde and Austin Fairbanks, who each had two singles.

Scott Kamyszek and Dylan Centala each had their first varsity hits in the contest. ?We did a lot of work on fly balls and a lot of work on communication on the field. We played relatively error-free today. I was really impressed with our defense, as cold as it was,? said coach Howard Madsen.

LAST THURSDAY, the Hurons got the season started with an exciting 12-11 win over the Alpena Wildcats. Wenzel started, working the first four innings. The two runs he allowed were unearned, as he struck out six and allowed two hits. When he left, the Hurons had a 7-2 lead. The Wildcats scored nine times off reliever Paschke, only three of them earned, but Paschke?s teammates earned him the win with a dramatic comeback in the bottom of the six, and last, inning. Junior center fielder Chris Rhode drove in the winning run, capping a five-run rally. Paschke had three hits and four RBI while Justin Kelley had two hits and two RBI.

In the second game, Alpena broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the third off LaLonde and added two more in the fifth for a 7-3 win. LaLonde went three innings, allowing f

our hits, two walks and one earned run. Nathan Darga worked the last inning, surrendering two hits and two runs. Wenzel had two hits and scored two runs from the leadoff position. The Hurons had six hits as a team.

SATURDAY IN the Alcona tournament, the Hurons split, losing 10-1 to Rudyard and defeating Alcona 12-2. Wenzel started and went the first three innings against Rudyard. He allowed 10 runs, three earned, on eight hits and two walks while striking out two. Paschke worked the last two innings, allowing one hit and recording two strikeouts. Kelley led the hitting attack with two of the Hurons? four hits.

THE BATS came alive in the second game as Rogers City had five-run innings in both the third and fifth innings. The Hurons had six hits and were aided by seven walks. LaLonde (1-1) pitched five innings, striking out five, with three walks and no earned runs. He allowed just one hit in earning his first win of the season. Kelley and LaLonde each had two hits. The Hurons play in Newberry today (Thursday) and in the Boyne City tournament Saturday. Rogers City will face Maple City Glen Lake in the opener while St. Ignace and Boyne City make up the other bracket.

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