Austin Post No. 1216 VFW bolted out of the gates, but needed a late-game rally to complete its 7-4 win over Kasson-Mantorville Wednesday night at Marcusen Park.

Brandon Bickell and Nate Conner both scored in the bottom of the fifth to put Austin back on top after K-M recovered from giving up three runs in the first inning. Austin added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to seal the win.

“When they come ready to play and put in a full effort these kids can play with anybody,” coach Joe Ciola said.

Austin looked poised to cruise to a win early when the top three batters in the order— Trevor Stevens, Dylan Gasner and Daniel Bollingberg — strung together three singles to start the bottom half of the frame and would go on to represent the three early runs.

The lead held until K-M tied the game in the top of the third with three runs of their own. KM came out in the following inning, loaded the bases and took the lead when Aaron Berge scored.

But Austin got rolling again when Bickell led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single and then scored on Conner’s double. Conner would score not long after on a fielder’s choice.

Both Stevens and Gasner’s runs in the top of the sixth added to the lead while Stevens, coming in for relief of starting pitcher Reinartz in the fourth inning, put the game out of reach, battling through a bumpy top of the seventh to get the win.

“They realized there was a lot of baseball to play, ” Ciola said about Austin losing the lead. “They kept playing hard, waiting for those opportunities they knew were coming.”

Gasner finished the game going 3-for-4 with three singles and two runs scored while Conner was 2-for-4 with a single and double.

K-M              003 100 0 — 4 6 2

Austin           300 022 x — 7 9 2