Patriots end Austin Post 91’s season
Published 2:08 pm Friday, July 22, 2011
Austin's Marcus Stoulil is greeted by teammates after hitting a home run Friday in the sixth inning of an 8-6 loss to the Rochester Patriots at Hayek Field in Albert Lea. The loss knocked the Austin Post 91 team out of the District 1 Tournament. -- Andrew Dyrdal/Albert Lea Tribune
ALBERT LEA — No lead was safe in District 1 Tournament at Hayek Field in Albert Lea Friday.
In the first round of the tournament’s elimination bracket, Austin Post 91 and the Rochester Post 92 Patriots traded leads six times and were tied four times before the Patriots scored three runs in the eighth en route to an 8-6 win.
With the Austin (8-17 overall) clinging to a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Patriots hit three doubles in four at bats to left field.
Post 91 pitcher Preton Higbe struck out the Patriots’ Nathan Ekhoff to start the inning before Alex Brady doubled down the left field line. Jake Kirsch flew out for the second out and Higbe was close to preserving the one-run lead. The Patriots had other ideas.
Ryan Lakin and Dan Chihak hit back-to-back RBI doubles to the left-center gap that rolled to the fence and gave the Patriots the lead for good.
Austin’s Quinn Yocum reached first on an infield single with one out in the top of the ninth but never threatened to score. Joey Swatfager and Adam McMasters made outs to end the game.
Austin scored a run in the first and third to take a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the second inning. The Patriots pulled ahead 3-2 on three runs, including a two-run double by Lakin.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Packers didn’t waste time pulling even. On the first pitch of the inning, No. 9 hitter Marcus Stoulil hit a solo home run to left field. Later in the inning, Mike Tindal stole third base and scored on a ground-out by Joey Swatfager.
The Patriots retook the lead in the bottom of the inning with two runs before the Austin tied the game in the sixth on an RBI single by Nate Paris. Post 91 pulled ahead in the seventh when Yocom scored on a wild pitch but were unable to hang on to the lead.
Preston Higbe was tagged with the loss after allowing seven runs through 7 2/3 innings.
Austin had six hits and three errors in the season ending loss.
Austin 1 0 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 — 6
Patriots 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 3 X — 8
Austin hitting: Mike Tindal 0-for-3, R, SB; Quinn Yocom 2-for-4; Joey Swatfager 0-for-4; Adam McMasters 0-for-2, BB; Gabe Kasak 1-for-2, double, R; Aaron Goetz 0-for-3; Preston Higbe 1-for-4; Nate Paris 1-for-4, RBI; Marcus Stoulil 1-for-3, HR
