Austin Post 1216 gets a split with Owatonna
Published 11:42 pm Thursday, July 2, 2015
Evan Horstmann pitches for the Austin Post 1216 VFW baseball team against Owatonna in Marcusen Park Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
The Austin Post 1216 VFW baseball team put forth a solid effort to win a District game 5-1 against Owatonna and it dropped the non-District contest 9-1 in Marcusen Park Thursday.
Forrest Lewis rounds third base for the Austin Post 1216 VFW baseball team in Marcusen Park Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Austin (13-14 overall, 8-3 District) couldn’t seem to make a mistake in the first game, even when the team didn’t execute perfectly. Owatonna had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the sixth inning when a ground ball deflected off of Austin second baseman Jack Dankert. Normally a play like that would result in the ball getting in the outfield and Owatonna would’ve scored to pull within 5-2 and it still would’ve had the bases loaded with one out.
Instead, the ball bounced directly to Austin shortstop Forrest Lewis, who tagged second base and threw to first for a rally-killing double play.
“We played a great game in that first game and that was probably as close to a perfect game as we can play,” Austin head coach Mark Conner said. “We can still obviously improve on some things and we had some things that went in our favor. Especially when you take a baseball off your second baseman and still turn a double play with the bases loaded.”
Owatonna committed six errors in the opening game and Austin did all of its damage early as Phillip Zynda and Garett Ruroden had second inning RBIs. Zynda knocked in another run in the third to make it 5-0.
Austin trailed the second game 7-1 after three innings.
“It’s all about gaining momentum,” Conner said. “We’ve only got a couple of weeks before the District tournament. The second game we got a little sloppy and that’s not the tuneup I’m looking for.”
Austin’s Pete Conner snags in a bouncer at third base in Marcusen Park Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Owatonna 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1 4 6
Austin 1 2 2 0 0 0 X — 5 6 1
Austin pitching: Evan Horstmann (W) 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 5 K; Jake Lunt (S) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 K
Austin hitting: Horstmann, 0-for-4; Evan McAlister, 1-for-4, R; Tanner Steene, 1-for-2, R, BB; Hunter Johnson, 0-for-3, R; Jack Dankert, 0-for-3; Forrest Lewis, 1-for-3, R; Pete Conner, 0-for-1, RBI, R, BB; Phillip Zynda, 2-for-3, 2 RBIs; Garett Ruroden, 1-for-2, RBI; Matt Nelson, 0-for-1
Owatonna 3 1 3 2 0 0 0 — 9 7 1
Austin 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 — 1 5 3
Austin pitching: Jakob Crouch (L) 1 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 3 ER, 2 HBP, 1 K
Austin hitting: Horstmann, 0-for-4; Nelson, 0-for-2, 2 BBs; Josiah Bothun, 1-for-2; Conner, 1-for-2, RBI; Tyler Robertson, 0-for-2, BB; Lunt, 1-for-2; Crouch, 0-for-3; Riley Retterath, 0-for-1, BB; Ruroden, 1-for-1, BB; Lewis, 1-for-1, BB, SB, R