ROCHESTER -- Jordan VanProosdy has not had every opportunity to produce for the Austin Legion Post 91 baseball team this season, but he made the most of his chances when it mattered the most.

VanProosdy's bases-loaded single with a full count and two outs in the top of the seventh inning cleared the bases and brought the local Legion team (20-11) back from a four-run deficit, setting up a 9-8 triumph over Owatonna Thursday in the second round of First District playoff action at Mayo Field.

An error and two walks loaded the bases for VanProosdy -- Austin's No. 9 hitter -- with elimination from the postseason looming. With the runners moving, VanProosdy poked a full-count curveball into right field for two runs, and Owatonna's sixth error allowed Nate Bergene to race all the way around from first to score the tying run.

Owatonna starter Vince Anderson issued his third walk of the inning -- and seventh of the game - to leadoff hitter Grant Lunning, and Nick Bowe delivered the game-winning RBI with a single to the right-center field gap.

"We've done this before, they are a wild and fun bunch," said Austin assistant coach Steve Rizzi. "We went station-to-station with that comeback until the base-hit by Jordan. We've moved a lot of people in-and-out of right field, and today (VanProosdy) got the call and he made the most of it.

"What a game for this team, and what a game for Jordan."

Stepping it up

VanProosdy was 3-3 with a walk, he scored the game-winning run and drove in three more. His bases-loaded single in the third gave Austin a 4-0 lead, and his battle with Anderson the fourth time through resulted in Owatonna's doom.

"I wasn't really thinking, I was just out there," VanProosdy said of his final at-bat. "I was just kind of dreaming about hitting a home run, but I got the next best thing I guess."

Matt Johnson almost ended the rally as soon as he started it. Owatonna third baseman Nate Skala made a low throw to first on Johnson's one-out grounder, and first baseman Chris Troy appeared to make the scoop before the ball popped out of his glove. Johnson, unaware that the ball had come out of Troy's mit, started towards the Austin dugout.

A mad scramble back to the bag saw Johnson safe -- again -- and Austin in business.

Jim Knoebel's blooper to shallow right was stabbed by a diving Joe Herzog, but back-to-back walks to Brett Hovey and Bergene set the stage for VanProosdy's heroics. A nine-pitch at-bat ended with a two-run single to right, and Bergene kept coming after the outfield error.

"That was insane," Bergene said of the comeback.

Eight straight

Owatonna scored eight straight to take an 8-4 lead before Post 91 put together an improbable comeback that did not seemingly start until VanProosdy's clutch hit.

Austin took a 4-0 lead on three unearned runs, fueled by three throwing errors by Owatonna shortstop Jesse Seykora.

Down but not out, Seykora sought revenge and exacted it with a pair of home runs that brought Owatonna to an 8-4 advantage. His three-run shot in the third tied the score, and his two-run blast in the fourth welcomed Austin reliever Nels Nelson to the mound.

Back-to-back singles by Skala and Herzog chased starter Brad Wiechmann, but Seykora stayed hot even after Nelson toed the rubber. A fastball went back the way it came for an 8-4 Owatonna lead.

Slow start

A no-outs, bases-loaded situation for Austin in the top of the sixth resulted in one run, but Nick Bowe's RBI-double-play grounder did not ignite the flame the team had hoped for. After back-to-back walks to Bergene and VanProosdy, Lunning broke out of his slump with a single to left to load the bases. Bowe was apparently saving up for his final at-bat, and grounded to Seykora to start a 6-4-3 double play.

After committing an error on his first three fielding attempts, Seykora converted his final nine chances. The Owatonna, however, made six errors in the game. Only two of Austin's nine runs came earned to Anderson. All eight Owatonna runs were earned to Austin pitching despite three errors.

Nelson retired the final 10 hitters he faced after giving up Seykora's second homer, including Seykora on a fly ball to VanProosdy with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

VanProosdy had three of Austin's eight hits, and was the only batter with more than one hit.

"He wasn't that kind of power in any other game this year," Coach Rizzi said of VanProosdy. "But sure as heck, he came up with the big one."

Still going

The comeback victory allowed Austin to see at least another day. The local Legion team plays this morning at 11 a.m. against the loser of last night's quarterfinal match between the Rochester Patriots and the Rochester Redhawks. Austin has one win against each team this season.

"We're on the long track back," Rizzi said.

A loss would end Austin's season, while a win would allow the team to play again at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon in the consolation semifinals.

Call Ross Thede at 434-2234 or e-mail him at :mailto:sports@austindailyherald.com.