Two big innings deliver an opening state win for the Post 334 squad
A six-run third and a five-run sixth lifted the Post 334 team to an 11-1 opening American Legion State Tournament victory over the host team, Hibbing, on Al Nyberg Field Thursday afternoon.
The win, claimed in seven innings via the 10-run rule, also gave the Post 334 team a second-round winners’ bracket match-up at Al Nyberg Field against Eagan at 7:30 p.m.
But it did not come automatic, nor easy at first. Playing before its home town crowd, Hibbing actually took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a two-out double. Post 334 was subsequently forced to regroup and countered with the six-run outbursts with some nifty base running by Bo Daniels, who scored on a pitch — in the dirt — that slipped 20 feet away from the catcher, then a couple of key hits by Mike Latt and Sammy Smith, a sacrifice fly by Kirk Funfar.
In the sixth, Latta launched a two-run homer over the left-center-field fence and on the next pitch Brandon Flippen followed with a shot over the right field barrier to make it 9-1. Two more runs were plated after the mammoth home-run blasts and allowed relief pitcher Alex Williams to close out the game with a perfect top of the seventh.
Williams picked up where starter Ian Andrews left off after five innings. Andrews, who gave up just five hits, but walked six, finished with 11 strikeouts.
Posted: July 29th, 2010