1 of 5

Southland’s Beau Sathre connects on a pitch against USC in Adams Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Southland’s Cole Miller throws a pitch. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Southland’s Maverick Hanna slides into second base against USC in Adams. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Southland’s Austin Swenson makes a slding catch on a bunt at third base against USC in Adams Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Brekken Koenigs hustles down the base line. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

ADAMS – Southland seniors Maverick Hanna and Noah Goergen have been in plenty of big spots before, so neither of them were fazed when they were in a position to give their team a win on Monday.

Each of them came through as the Rebels delivered a 5-4 walk-off win over United South Central.

Noah Goergen ended the game with a two-out RBI single on a flare that scored Hanna, who led the bottom of the seventh inning off with a single to center field.

“I just stayed calm,” Goergen said. “It was just another at bat and I just had to swing, not to do much, and win the game. I’ve been playing sports for a long time and I don’t usually feel the pressure.”

Hanna came to the plate to lead off the inning right after USC (7-7 overall) had tied the game off him in the top of the seventh. Hanna pitched an inning and two-thirds inning of relief to get the pitching win, but it was his bat that spoke loudest when he singled, stole second base, and then scored on Georgen’s hit.

“You can’t really beat that spot. In a tie game, you’re just trying to get on and get guys behind you to make some plays,” Hanna said. “We’re finding ways to win, we’re competing as a team and we’re doing all of the little things. We’re finding ways to do it.”

Southland (9-3 overall) trailed the game 3-0 after three innings as it had stranded six runners in the first three frames. The Rebels received momentum from their defense when Austin Swenson made a sliding catch at third base and Southland’s defense turned a double play after USC had runners on first and second in the top of the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, Swenson and Beau Sathre delivered two-out RBI singles to pull within 3-2 and Southland took a 4-3 lead in the fifth when freshman Cael Smith and eighth grader Brekken Koenigs each delivered two-out RBI singles.

“We got a win against a solid team and we’re pretty happy about that. The bad is that we missed a lot of signs and left a lot of guys on base,” Southland head coach Scott Koenigs said. “But we had some pretty good performances to finish out the game. Noah had been leading our team in hitting and he struggled a bit, but he came up with a big hit at the end of the game. We’re getting some help from some of our younger guys, and our seniors are doing a good job as well.”

USC 2 0 1  0 0 0  1  –  4   7   0

Southland 0 0 0  2 2 0  1  –  5  12  3   

Southland pitching: Cole Miller, 5 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 3 R, 2 ER, 8 K, HBP; Maverick Hanna (W) 1 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 1 K

Southland hitting: Noah Goergen, 2-for-5, RBI, SB; Austin Swenson, 3-for-4, RBI, SB; Beau Sathre, 1-for-4, RBI; Landon Hill, 0-for-1, 2 HBPs, BB; Miller, 0-for-4; Easton Meyer, 1-for-4, double, R; Hanna, 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 SB; Cael Smith, 1-for-4, RBI, R; Brekken Koenigs, 1-for-2, RBI, R, 2 BBs