Austin Post 91 rallies past Winona
Published 10:01 pm Thursday, July 5, 2018
- Austin’s Jack Dankert pitches against Winona in Marcusen Park Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailhyherald.com
The Austin Post 91 Legion baseball team overcame a slow start to pick up a 9-5 win over Winona in Marcusen Park Thursday.
Winona took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth after Jack Dankert threw back-to-back two-out wild pitches that each allowed a run to score, but Dankert was able to settle down and pitch two straight scoreless innings.
“I had to hunker down and just throw strikes,” said Dankert, who struck out seven in six innings. “I kind of got into it, but I had to just put my emotions away and throw strikes. It worked out.”
Austin’s Pete Conner looks in a fly ball against Winona in Marcusen Park Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Austin tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dankert and Hunter Guyette each singled in a run. Post 91 (11-5 overall, 3-0 District) took the lead for good in the sixth when Phillip Zynda scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-2. Later in the inning Zynda put the game away when he drove in two runs with a single to left field to make it 9-2 Austin.
Austin had just two hits in the first four innings before it got its bats going.
Nate Murphy comes home to score a run for Austin Post 91 against Winona in Marcusen Park Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
“Their first pitcher was good. In my at bats, I never saw two fast balls in a row,” Zynda said. “He was really changing it up. He had good speed and he kept us guessing. I have a lot of confidence in our team, because I think anybody can step up and have a great at-bat. When it comes to the late innings, I don’t really worry a lot because I know who we have on our team.”
Austin head coach Joe Kroc said he’d like to see the team come out with a little more intensity than it did on Thursday.
“We’ve got to get better,” Kroc said. “Attitude and effort was an issue in the first few innings. Luckily a couple of guys jump started it and the at bats got better after that.”
Austin’s Hunter Guyette rounds third base against Winona in Marcusen Park Thursday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Winona 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 — 5 7 0
Austin 0 0 0 0 2 7 X — 9 10 1
Austin pitching: Jack Dankert (W) 6 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 7 K; Andrew Schumacher, 2/3 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 3 ER, 1 K; Pete Conner (S) 1/3 IP, 0 R
Austin hitting: Dankert, 3-for-4, double, RBI, R; Hunter Guyette, 2-for-4, R, RBI; Josi Bothun, 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB; Drew Copley, 1-for-3, double, 2 RBIs, BB; AJ Mueller, 0-for-2; Phillip Zynda, 1-for-3, 2 RBIs, R, BB; Riley Retterath, 1-for-3, double, R, BB; Nate Murphy, 0-for-1, R, BB; Conner, 1-for-2, 2 R, BB; Ross Young, R; Kadin Kneeskern, 0-for-1; Bryce Strouf, 0-for-2
