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Published: May 12, 2009 11:03 pm     

HS ROUNDUP (May 12): Vikings double up Ken West

In a game that made a point for parity in Niagara Frontier League baseball, second-place Grand Island held off seventh-place Kenmore West 8-4 after the visiting Blue Devils nearly self-destructed in the first inning.

Chris Podlucky’s two-RBI single in the sixth finally put it away for the Vikings (11-5 overall, 8-2 NFL), easing the way home for pitcher Brian Brink, who yielded nine hits but none to the top three in West’s lineup.

“That’s a nice steady job, just what we expect from him,” said GI coach Dean Santorio. “West is a good hitting team.”

A decent fielding team, too, but not in the first inning, when four errors helped the Vikings to a four-run start. Joe Oliverio capitalized with a two-run single.

But West (5-11, 2-8) battled back, cutting it to 5-4 after four. Zach Bouley had three hits and pitcher Ryan Sanders two each. Dom Czarniak backed up to the left field fence to rob Nick Kellner of a home run and second-sacker Scott Lepovich ranged to the shortstop side of the back to field a grounder, saving two runs in the fourth. After the catastrophic first, West played flawlessly in the field.

Ben Tomkins went 4-for-4 and Joel Klock ripped two doubles for Grand Island.

— Doug Smith