Grand slam highlight of win over Sault in game two of twin bill

by Richard Lamb, Advance Editor

A busy week ended with a 10-0 win in the second game of Tuesday?s doubleheader for the Huron baseball team over a tough Sault Ste. Marie team Tuesday in Rogers City after a narrow defeat in the opener of the Straits Area Conference twinbill. The game concluded a 4-3 week, which moved the Hurons to 12-7 on the season, not having lost to a Division 4 school yet this year.

In the second game of the doubleheader, that followed a 10-9 loss in extra innings, senior Jordan Zempel led the way with his pitching and hitting. On the mound, the all-state shortstop proved he could pitch by tossing a five-hit shutout while striking out five.

At the plate, his grand slam in a five-run third inning keyed an 11-hit attack. Ben Tulgestke, Josh Curtis and Tyler Szumila had two hits each for the Hurons. ?We really pounded the ball in the second game. I am really, really impressed. That?s what we have been doing all year. They battled to the last out in the games we were beat in the tournament in Alpena,? said coach Howard Madsen. ?That is all I can ask as a coach. They played well. I am happy with the way they responded.?

In the first game, the Hurons rallied to tie the score at 5-5 to send the game into extra innings. Soo came up with five runs in the top of the eighth inning, aided by two Huron errors. But Rogers City came back strong with four runs in their half of the inning, falling just short of tying the game again.

Rogers City scored on an error off a ball hit by Pat Quaine, a sacrifice fly by Tulgestke, and a two-run single by Zempel. LAST SATURDAY, Alpena took a 7-1 win over the Hurons, scoring five runs in the third inning off Ben Tulgestke. Scott Grulke had two of the Hurons? four hits. Tulgestke went all six innings, allowing seven hits, four walks and four earned runs In the second game on Saturday in the Alpena tournament, Grulke went all seven innings of a 11-4 win over Central Lake. He scattered 10 hits and didn?t walk a batter while striking out four. He helped his own cause by going 3-for-4 at the plate. Tulgestke added three hits for the Hurons in a 16-hit attack.

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ast Friday the Hurons lost to Grosse Pointe North, 6-1 as Rogers City managed only hits from Josh Curtis and Matt Mertz. Junior lefty Cody Elowsky went all six innings, allowing seven hits and five walks while striking out one. Grosse Pointe North scored one in the first, three in the second and single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.

THE BUSY week began with a pair of games with St. Ignace, both taken by the Hurons in convincing fashion. Szumila took the win in game one as the Hurons rallied from a 4-2 deficit to win 8-4. With the score tied at 4-4 Rogers City scored four runs in the last inning.

Szumila pitched all six, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out five. Junior third baseman Matt Mertz led a 16-hit attack with three singles. Grulke provided the big blows in the second game of the doubleheader by getting three hits and five RBI in a 14-3 win over the Saints. He belted a homer in the fifth inning as the Hurons scored runs in each inning. Zempel also had three hits in the game and earned the pitching victory. He surrendered six hits and two earned runs while striking out three and walking four. THE SCHEDULE has the Hurons at Onaway for a doubleheader on Thursday and at Cheboygan Tuesday. The district tournament draw, announced Monday, shows Rogers City playing Onaway in the 10 a.m. game Saturday, May 30 at Hillman with Hillman taking on Posen in the second game. The winners square off in the championship game later in the afternoon for the right to play at the Rogers City regional tournament.