Hurons play in Monday’s pre-district baseball game
Just two more series to go before the show begins. Coach Howard Madsen and his Hurons (22-5-1) have a doubleheader in Cheboygan today (Thursday) then host Clare Friday before a showdown with Hillman in Tuesday?s pre-district game in Onaway. Madsen?s team played Posen last year in a pre-district game, topping the Vikings in the first game of a tournament run which ended at the state semifinals in Battle Creek. ?I think you have an advantage when you play a pre-district,? Madsen said.
?A lot of teams have that week off because you have to keep that date open for a possible pre-district game. I would much rather be playing than practicing.? The winner of Tuesday?s pre-district game advances to the districts June 4 also to be played in Onaway.
ON TUESDAY the Hurons had to travel to St. Ignace to make up the second game of a Straits Area Conference doubleheader which was rained out earlier in the season. Rogers City came away with a 5-2 win over the Saints. A four-run Huron second inning broke a 1-1 tie. Isaac Freel started and earned the win. The sophomore lefty pitched three innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out three. Austin Fairbanks worked the final three innings, allowing one run on two hits. He struck out five and didn?t walk a batter.
THE HURONS won the Maple City Glen Lake tournament Saturday in a pair of exciting games. In the first game, the Huron bats provided all the excitement in a 14-0 win over the host team. A six-run fourth inning and a five-run sixth gave the Hurons a big cushion for winning pitcher Cody Wenzel. He went all the way, allowing three hits while striking out five. Chris Paschke and Chris Santini each had three hits. Each Huron starter drove in at least one run in the balanced hitting attack. Rogers City needed extra innings to win the tournament in the championship game. Facing Clare in the finals, the Hurons and Pioneers exchanged the lead five times before the Hurons prevailed.
The Hurons led 1-0 after one inning, then Clare led 2-1 after two. A two-run third gave the lead back to the Hurons, but Clare came back with five to go up again. Trailing 7-6 in the top of the seventh inning, the Hurons clawed out the tying run. Jake Bellmore led off with a single and then stole second. Fairbanks drove him in with a single to tie the game at 7-7. Each team went down in the eighth without scoring, setting up the decisive run in the Huron ninth. Junior centerfielder Justin Wilbert singled, stole second and went to third when the catcher?s throw went into centerfield. Bellmore then delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Hurons the win. ?It was a big win for us,? Madsen sai
SANTINI STARTED and worked the first seven innings. He allowed seven runs on eight hits and three walks. He struck out two. Paschke relieved in the eighth, getting the win for two innings of no-hit pitching. LAST THURSDAY, the Hurons split a pair with Onaway, winning the opener 15-5 and dropping the second game 4-2. In game one, Paschke scattered three hits as his teammates collected 16 hits off Cardinal pitching. Fairbanks had four hits while Wenzel and Ben Basel added three. Tyler Schuiteman had two hits in the game. The Hurons never led in game two, going down 1-0 after two innings and 3-2 after three.
Freel went all five innings, allowing six hits, five walks and four earned runs. He fanned six hitters. Wenzel got two of the Hurons? four hits in the game.