Idalski?s two-RBI hit lifts Posen by Rogers City

by Richard Lamb and Peter Jakey–

The Posen Vikings rallied for an exciting come-from-behind victory in the opening round of district play, then fell to the Hillman Tigers as baseball season ended Saturday. The 6-5 win over the Hurons on their home field in the opening round brought some warmth and spirit to an overcast day in Rogers City. Posen trailed by two runs with one at bat left in game one. Tyson Klecha led off the inning with a walk. Freshman Shane Hentkowski?s bunt turned into an error, scoring Klecha from first base and landing Hentkowski on second base with the potential tying run.

With one, Justin LaPointe reached on a throwing error. After Nick Delekta popped out for the second out of the inning, clean-up hitter Nick Idalski stepped to the plate with runners on second and third. He wasted no time in smacking the first pitch he saw into center field for a two-run single. That proved to be the game-winning hit, as the Hurons failed to score in its half of the seventh.

?IT WAS probably the biggest hit of his career — captain of the ball game — coming up with two on and two out,? said Posen baseball coach Pat Kowalski. On the victory against Rogers City he told his players they can go toe-to-toe with anybody, ?all we have to do is pitch the ball and throw strikes, keep chipping away and play fundamental baseball. If we play fundamental baseball, we can stay with anybody.? Klecha drew the start in game one, working six strong innings before giving way to Hentkowski in the seventh. The pair combined to allow Rogers City 11 hits and two walks. Klecha also hit two Huron batsmen. ?Klecha threw strikes,? said Kowalski, ?it was one of his biggest victories of the year. He kept us in the ball game.? The Vikings made good use of its three hits, with Klecha doubling in a run in the second and Brandon Beach singling in that same inning. The first run of the inning came after Scott Couture reached base on a fielder?s choice, stole second, moved to third on Beach?s single, and then scored on a wild pitch. Posen scored a run without benefit of a hit in the third inning. LaPointe walked, moved to third on an error, and scored on a wild pitch.

THINGS DID not go as well for the Vikings in the district championship game. Hillman opening the scoring with eight runs in the first inning, sending 12 men to the plate. Three errors, two walks, two h

it batsmen, and four hits led to the outburst. Hentkowski lasted two-thirds of an inning and was relieved by Couture, who worked three and one-third, and Klecha. Hillman added one run in the second and six in the fourth inning for the 15-0 final score.

?We didn?t do anything well in the Hillman game,? said Kowalski. ?It was probably one of the first times in my career we have gone from such an emotional high to an emotional low in only two hours. I attribute the loss to the fact that we didn?t pitch well, we didn?t catch well and we didn?t hit well. Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong in that ball game.?

Idalski, Couture and Hentkowski each had hits with Idalski reaching third base after his fourth-inning double. The Vikings finished 19-18 overall, but earned a share of the North Star League with a 13-1 record. They lose seniors Nick Delekta, Nick Idalski and Nathan Strzelecki. Kowalski will be returning nine players in 2009.

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