Redhawks rally to win rematch
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, June 25, 2003
After being completely shut down for five innings Tuesday, the Austin Legion Post 91 baseball team fought back to tie with two runs in the sixth. The Rochester Redhawks had the last word though, getting a score in the seventh to win 3-2 at Marcusen Park.
"I've got nothing but praises for the kids tonight," said Post 91 coach Bob Stratton. "We forced them to bring in their ace (Matt Meyer)."
"We battled in the sixth," said losing pitcher Kyle Rizzi. "We could've easily given up being down two, but we kept trying."
The game was also free of the dirt-kicking and arguing that marred last week's doubleheader in Rochester.
"I saw (Redhawks coach Jim Sonju) last weekend and he was very apologetic about what had happened," Stratton said.
Rochester got on the board in the second when Tom Senne lofted a home run that barely cleared the fence in the left-field corner.
The Redhawks added another run in the fourth when Tim Gerlesberger smoked a triple over the head of Nate Johnson in center and scored on a base hit by Meyer.
Austin, meanwhile, wasn't getting anything done against Redhawk starter Ben Heydt. Coming off a one-hit shutout of Post 91 last week, Heydt threw five perfect innings to open Tuesday's game.
"He was hitting spots, not blowing anybody away," Rizzi said of Heydt.
Post 91 would finally get to Heydt in the sixth, breaking up the perfect game and the no-hitter when Joe Kroc walked and Brad Wiechmann singled to begin the inning. After a Jordan Van Proosdy sacrifice bunt, Adam Edge singled to left to plate Kroc. Rizzi followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-all.
This surge in momentum would be short-lived though. Sonju yanked Heydt after a walk to Nels Nelson in favor of Meyer. The Boston College-bound lefty would retire all four batters he faced in the game, striking out two of them.
Rochester went back to work in the top of the seventh. Ben Becker had a one-out single to start things off. Rizzi picked up the second out of the inning by striking out Ben Gerlesberger, but he then uncorked a breaking ball that skidded away from catcher Andy Swank.
"The pitch was in the dirt," Stratton said, "but Andy stabbed at the ball instead of getting down and getting in front of it, and he knows that."
With Becker now at second, Brandon O' Reilly smacked the ball off the mound, past Rizzi and into center field to score the winning run.
Both O'Reilly and Becker were 2-for-3 to lead the Redhawk hitters.
Austin was paced by Edge, who was 1-for-3 with an RBI from the leadoff spot, and Wiechmann, who went 1-for-2 with a run scored.
"I was looking at our stats for the year and our team ERA is well under 3.00, it's just our hitting that needs to catch up," Stratton said.
The Redhawks upped their record to 7-4 overall and 2-2 in district play, while Austin is now 4-7 and 1-2. Post 91 plays at Waseca Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Box Score:
REDHAWKS 3AUSTIN 2
abrhbiabrhbi
Leisen cf4010Edge lf3011
Brady 2b3000Rizzi p2001
T.Grlsbrgr 1b3110Nelson 2b2000
Meyer rf-p3011Swank c3000
Senne lf3111Bastyr 1b3000
Wahl c3000Johnson cf3000
Becker ss3120Kroc ss2100
B.Grlsbrgr 3b3000Wchmnn 3b2110
O'Reilly dh3021VanPrsdy rf1000
Heydt p0000
Totals28383Totals21222
Rochester0101001--380
Austin0000020--220
3B--R: T.Gerlesberger. HR--R: Senne. SF--A: Rizzi. S--A: VanProosdy. CS--R: Leisen.
IPHRERBBSO
Rochester
Heydt5 2/322225
Meyer W1 1/300002
Austin
Rizzi L,2-3783304
WP--Rizzi.