Hurons power to home district title
by Richard Lamb, Advance Editor
A slugging Huron baseball team made quick work of two opponents to win the district title at home last Saturday. That sets up a regional semifinal pairing at 10 a.m. in Pellston with Norway (17-10) winner of the Eben Junction district. The Knights defeated Brimley and Newberry to claim the district title. Norway is in its third year of varsity baseball.
The winner of that game will square off with the winner of the Rudyard vs. Gaylord St. Mary game for the regional title. The winner of the regional title advances to the Traverse City West quarterfinal Tuesday to play the winner of the Traverse City St. Francis regional (Traverse City St. Francis, Frankfort, Central Lake or Buckley). Rogers City (19-11) defeated Harbor Light Christian 8-0 in game one and took Indian River-Inland Lakes 10-0 in the district championship game.
?IT IS A great group of kids. We played better baseball as the season has progressed and as the weather has gotten warmer. We did all the little things that you have to do to win,? said coach Howard Madsen. ?We had three sacrifice flies, which is big because you put the ball in play and make the other team make plays. We even made productive outs and that is the name of the game. We did all that and we have been doing all that for the last couple of weeks. So, I am really happy where we are at right now.?
Alex Jozwiak took charge in the opening game, working five shutout innings of five-hit ball, while striking out eight. He got out of a jam in the first inning, after Curtis Clark lead off with a single and Jacob Ellis followed with a double. Then Jozwiak struck out Ethan Bump, intentionally walked Collin Hewitt to load the bases. He struck out Caleb Walker and got Nathan Cook to fly out to Austin Brege in left field. After a shaky first inning, Harbor Light had only three more base runners, as Jozwiak settled down and the defense played perfectly behind him.
Rogers City wasted no time taking the lead. Brege led off the bottom half of the first with a double, then with two outs, scored from second when the Harbor Light first baseman misplayed a through from shortstop on Jozwiak?s grounder. Jozwiak stole second, one of his two steals in the game, and Chris Peacock singled him home, one of Peacock?s two RBIs. BREGE SCORED on Levi Ellenberger?s double to right, after stealing second. Ellenberger scored on an error off a ball hit by Jesse Wilbert. Peacock singled in the third, moved to third after a walk to Zach Sobeck and a pop single to center field by Evan Lamb. Peacock scored on a passed ball to make the score 4-0.
In the fifth, Lamb walked, then pinch runner Chase Grulke scored off a long double by Chad Karsten. In the fifth, Wilbert walked and came around to score on Jozwiak?s triple. Peacock cashed in Jozwiak with a sacrifice fly. The Hurons were no less dominant in the second game, a 10-0 win over Inland Lakes. Batting in the top half of the inning, Rogers City scored two in the first and six in the second inning.
A three-run triple by Wilbert came right before a two-run homer by Jozwiak. The Hurons capped the mercy-rule win with two runs in the fourth. Elleberger started the rally with a double, then scored on Jozwiak?s single. Jozwiak went to second on the throw to the plate and came home on Peacock?s single for his fourth RBI of the day. Dylan Kortman, who pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the first game, went all five innings of game two. He allowed four hits, and didn?t allow a runner past first base, He didn?t walk or strike out a batter as his defense helped him
Rogers City had eight hits in the first and eight more in the second game. ?It is always nice to win a ballgame that wins a trophy. But it is all about improving and getting to the next level and that is where we are going now,? Madsen said. Madsen is pleased the hitting has come around, strengthened by the hard work in the batting cage since March and a tough schedule. ?Now we get to play schools of our size and you can see the results. We had two shutouts today. The pitching is there, we hit the ball, so our kids are ready,? Madsen said.
Rogers City has won 20 of the past 22 district titles under coach Madsen. (To view more photos from the game, see our Web site and click ?pictures?)