When Austin pitcher Tony Ciola needs to get out of a jam, he knows exactly what pitch to go to — his curve ball. Ciola used that pitch at the right time when he he picked up a big strikeout to seal Austin Post 1216’s 3-2 win over Red Wing in a VFW baseball game in Marcusen Park Saturday.

Austin (3-2 District) had led 3-0 going into the seventh inning, when Red Wing pulled to within 3-2 on a two-out throwing error. Red Wing had runners on first and second with two outs when Ciola, who allowed just four hits and struck out 10 in seven innings, came up with the game-ending strikeout.

“I was confident that I could get most of pitches in,” Ciola said. “I thought my curve ball was looking good, so I struck him out with my curve ball. I like keeping that curve ball down and away. They can’t hit it.”

Austin jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a balk by Red Wing in the bottom of the first inning and it added two more runs in the fourth when it scored on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Dawson Mills.

Austin head coach Joe Ciola said he was pleased with how Post 1216 was able to hold off a late push in the seventh inning.

“They stepped up and when they needed to at the end. I’m very happy that Anthony went the distance,” Joe Ciola said. “We need to save our pitchers and get some big innings.”

Austin also escaped a big threat in the top of the third inning when Austin third baseman Teyghan Holvand hauled in a line drive and tagged third base for a double play after Red Wing had the bases loaded with one out.

Austin has a strong mix of Lyle-Pacelli players on the team this summer and Joe said the group has mixed in well together.

“The team’s been great and we’ve had a lot of team building activities,” Joe said.

Austin avoided a loss in the non-district contest against Red Wing when it scored two runs off of wild pitches in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 6-6 when the game was called off due to poor weather conditions.

RW 0 0 0  0 0 0  2  —  2  4  1

Austin 1 0 0  2 0 0  X  —  3  5  0

Austin pitching: Tony Ciola (W) 7 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 2 R, 1 ER, 10 K

Austin hitting: Zach Bollingberg, 0-for-3; Ciola, 2-for-2, BB; Tanner Murphy, 0-for-2, BB; Teyghan Hovland, 0-for-3; Jed Nelson, 1-for-3, double, R; Dawson Mills, 1-for-1, RBI, 2 BBs; Jackson Oehlfe, 0-for-3; Cal Fox, 1-for-3; Cole Walter, 0-for-1, BB, SB; Cody Thompson, R; Nick Dunlap, 2 SB, R

SUSPENDED GAME

RW 3 0 0  0 3 0  0  —  6  4 3

Austin 2 0 1  0 0 1  2  —  6  5 5

Austin pitching: Bryce Garroway, 2 IP, 3 BB, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 2 HBP; Justin Miller, 3 iP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 K, HBP; Nelson, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K, HBP

Austin hitting: Miller, 1-for-2, 2 R, SB, BB; Thompson, 0-for-4; Dunlap, 1-for-3, RBI, R; Jaren Steene, 2-for-4, R; Logan Murphy, 0-for-3; Brady Kominek, 0-for-3; Bray Karstjens, 0-for-3; Garroway, 0-for-2; Jordan Ransom, BB; Nelson, R, SB, BB; Andrew Clingman, 0-for-1, R