Reignited Vikings rack up six straight

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

?The team is recharged, reignited, and we are playing some really nice baseball,? said head coach Pat Kowalski as his Viking ballclub (12-9-1, 9-3) went 6-0 since getting swept May 3 at home by Hillman. The boys did some sweeping themselves during the last week. They won four North Star League (NSL) games at Fairview (12-1, 12-5) and Arenac Eastern (13-4, 18-2), and accepted an invitation from Pickford (3-1, 12-4) to play a pair, May 5, and won those games too. ?The upperclassmen have been leading with their performances, and the young players have been following along,? said Kowalski. OVERALL, THE pitchers cut down on their walks and the hitters showed more discipline at the plate, said Kowalski.

The next test will be a trip to Steven Schalk Memorial Field for a pair against Rogers City. Saturday, the Vikings host Superior Central and Onaway in a three-team tournament. Inland Lakes had to cancel because of eligibility problems, and efforts by the coach to get another team have come up short. If a fourth team can?t be found, Posen will play Superior Central at 10 a.m. Onaway will then get their shot at the Upper Peninsula school. The final game will be Onaway and Posen.

The pitching sparkled in Fairview and the bats boomed. Picking up wins on the mound were Shane Hentkowski (5 IN, H, W, 9 K?s) in game one and Jerome Ciarkowski (4 IN, 3 H, W, 7 K?s). Hentkowski got some help from a rare occurrence, a three-homer game. Scott Cou

ture and Travis Hirschman each had their first career dinger, while Justin LaPointe added his first of 2010. Couture was 5-for-7 in the doubleheader with six runs batted in. Hentkowski was 2-for-4 (2 RBI) in game one, while Luke Bruski was 2-for-4 (RBI) in the nightcap. Ciarkowski (3 H, W, 5 K?s) got the win in game one against Arenac. At the plate, Hentkowski was 3-for-3 (RBI, 3B) and Patrick Schuch was 1-for-2 (2 RBI). Taking turns on the mound in game two were Ciarkowski (H, 4 K?s), Hentkowski (H, W, K), and in his pitching debut, Brandon Dietz tossed the final inning, striking out one and allowing no hits.

The top hitters follow: Bruski 2-for-3 (4 RBI), Hentkowski 2-for-3 (2 RBI, 2B), Couture 2-for-3 (2B) and Danny Stenback 2-for-3 (2B). The Vikings defeated Pickford?s stud pitching 3-1 in game one in Posen. Couture pitched solid, allowing four hits, walking only one, while striking out six. The Viking?s three runs in the first held up. ?That?s all it took with Scott?s great pitching performance,? said Kowalski. ?We played some great defense behind him.? Nathan Lenard (5 IN, 3 H, 9 W, 9 K?s) was the winning pitcher in game two. Couture was 3-for-4 with three doubles.