FeedsInkster beats Fordson in slug fest
The Inkster Vikings have had their share of ups and downs this season, but they proved when they’re up they’re really up.
Monday’s contest was a perfect example. The Vikings beat league rival Fordson in a 28-17 slugfest in Dearborn.
The score was already 13-12 going into the bottom of the fourth when senior Viking Renty Rollins hit a two-out grand slam to help his team to a 19-12 advantage.
Fordson stayed in it with four runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to cut into Inkster’s lead 21-17. But the Vikings put together their best inning in the bottom of that frame, stringing together enough hits for seven runs to put the game away.
“The bats came alive again for us,” said Inkster Coach Jerome Orr. “It seemed like we would get ahead and then just relax and let them back in it. Then we had to try and get motivated again. We can’t do that. We have to get in the habit of not letting teams come back after we have them down like that.”
Orr had good output from freshman Dennis Cook, who had a two-run homer in the third. Senior Derrick Coker had two doubles and a single and senior Josh Howard added a single.
Junior Auwin Daryin started on the mound and was taken out in the second with Inkster trailing, 7-4. Howard got the nod in the third but Fordson took a 9-8 lead. Then Rollins earned the save, pitching the final three frames.
Inkster improved to 4-4 overall and 3-2 in league play.
Last Wednesday’s game took eight innings to complete but the Vikings fired off three runs at the top of the extra round for a 12-9 victory against host River Rouge.
This time the victory belonged to the strong arm of Coker. The first-year pitcher came in to relieve Daryin in the second with the score knotted, 5-5. From there, Coker sat down 13 batters, giving his Vikes the advantage down the stretch.
“Coker is a good player,” Orr said. “He doesn’t like to start but he’ll come in to relieve. What he does on the mound is only a plus to what he does as shortstop. He comes to play every day.”
Inkster scored its three runs in the eighth off of hits by Howard (double), Daryin and senior Javier Reed.
The Vikings hit a stumbling block last Monday when they faced off against visiting cross-town rival Dearborn Heights Robichaud and fell, 12-5.
Trailing 12-3 in the bottom of the seventh, senior Clay Burley blasted a two-run homer out of the park in what looked like the start of a promising comeback. But that’s all they would do against their nemesis.
Robichaud pitcher Maurice Hampton had 13 strikeouts in the win, according to Orr.
“We just made a lot of mental errors,” Orr said. “We didn’t stay focused and Robichaud didn’t make themistakes that we did. I have to give their pitcher credit.He pitched a good game—he was the one that beat us.”
Inkster hosts Redford Covenant at 4:30 pm on Friday and Ecorse at 4:30 p.m. on Monday and are backat Robichaud at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
