Athletics get a late boost
Published 11:53 pm Wednesday, June 25, 2008
It took awhile, but the Athletics finally found the boost they were looking for in a 5-3 win over the Rochester Roadrunners in an amateur baseball game at Riverland Wednesday night.
After trailing by at least two runs for five innings, Austin tied things up at 3 when Brendan McCabe sliced a one-out triple to the right field wall to score two runs in the bottom of the eighth.
“I felt like I was due since I was 0 for 3. It was frustrating,” McCabe said. “I didn’t have any power at all (on the hit), I just stuck the bat out there and used the pitcher’s momentum.”
The Athletics (2-7 overall) went on to take the lead when Kasey Krekling, who also got the win in relief on the mound, squeaked a grounder through the right side of the infield to score McCabe.
“We were kind of thinking maybe a suicide but then we just said ‘what the heck’ let them play and he got it out there,” Athletics manager Craig Selk said.
McCabe said scoring four runs in the eighth was a relief as the Athletics had stranded six runners in the first six innings. McCabe finally got his hit after taking some fatherly advice.
“I was just trying to make something happen after chasing everything up. I was switching bats, I was switching gloves and going without gloves,” McCabe, who is from Blooming Prairie, said. “My dad actually told me to switch my stance up a little bit and I just sat on it and hit the ball.”
The Athletics had to throw three pitchers — Krekling, Garrett Follmuth and MacEagon Voyce — on the night. The Roadrunners scored two runs off of Voyce on a run scoring single by Jeff Swanson and an unearned run in the third inning.
The Athletics scored their first run in the sixth, when Josh Evans knocked in Winston Smith, who led of the inning with a single and stole second base.
Selk said the Athletics have a strong core with some of the best high school players from BP, Southland and Hayfield.
“We just kind of got the best kids in the area and we’re kind of working on more of a future type thing,” Selk said. “But these guys can flat out play. When you put that core together we have so many great athletes.”
In fact, the Athletics are still playing against each other. McCabe said his Legion team had a run-in with some of his Athletic teammates this past weekend.
“We actually played a tourney with all these Southland guys and they beat us in the title game in extra innings,” McCabe said. “We joke around about that and it’s all in fun. It’s a blast to play with the rivals.”
Athletics 5, Roadrunners 3
Athletics pitching: MacEagon Voyce, 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER; Garrett Follmuth, 3 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 K; Kasey Krekling (W), 3 IP, 1 BB, 0 R, 7 K
Athletics hitting: Darin Wagner, 1-of-5; Winston Smith, 2-of-5, R; Brian Voigt, 1-of-3, double, R, BB; Josh Evans, 1-of-4, RBI, R; Derek Emanual, 1-of-4; Brendan McCabe, 1-of-4, triple, 2 RBIs, R; Kody Retterath, 3-of-4; Tom Kramer, 0-of-2, RBI, BB; Kasey Krekling, 1-of-1, RBI; Garrett Follmuth, 0-of-2; MacEagon Voyce, 0-of-1
Rochester Roadrunners pitching: Lowell Thomason, 6 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 1 ER; Mike Vance (L), 1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER; Chad Falk, 2/3 IP, 2 H
Roadrunners hitting: Mike Vance, 2-of-5; Jeff Swanson, 2-of-3, RBI; Chad Falk, 0-of-3; Andy Passe, 1-of-3; Matt Jensen, 0-of-3; Adam Peterson, 0-of-4; Mike Hohberger, 1-of-3, double; Tim Burgart, 2-of-4; Dave Dahlstrom, 0-of-4