Four-run seventh lifts Winona over Tigers baseball
Published 1:29 am Friday, May 15, 2009
Winona rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to knock off the Albert Lea baseball team Thursday in Winona for an 11-10 win.
The Tigers held a 10-7 lead entering the final half inning but the Winhawks were able to piece together one final rally.
Winona (6-11, 5-10 Big Nine) led off the seventh with a walk, followed by a drag bunt for a single and reached on a ground ball that bounced over Albert Lea second baseman Cody Hansen’s head to load the bases. After a strikeout the Winhawks got a base hit that scored one and a double to tie the game at 10.
Albert Lea (10-9, 9-9 Big Nine) intentionally walked the next hitter to load the bases to set up a force at every base and to face Chance Speltz, who had struck out in three previous at-bats. But this time Speltz delivered the game-winning hit and handed the Tigers their sixth loss in seven games.
“It was a tough loss,” said Tigers head coach Joe Sczublewski. “It would have been nice to close that one out, just couldn’t get it done.”
The 10 runs were more than Albert Lea had scored in its previous three games combined and Sczublewski said it was nice to see the offense return.
“It was nice to see the bats come alive,” Sczublewski said.
Jordan Mondeel went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and three RBIs for Albert Lea and Jordan Cooper went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and hit a double that just missed going over the fence.
Colby Strilaeff added a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 and the Tigers tallied 12 hits in the game.
Logan Kortan started on the mound for the Tigers and lasted five-plus innings. He was relieved in the sixth when he walked the first three hitters, but it was a solid start otherwise, Sczublewski said.
Albert Lea wraps up the regular season Monday against New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva in Albert Lea before the section playoffs begin May 23.
Winona 11, Albert Lea 10
Albert Lea 211 014 1 — 10 12 2
Winona 012 202 4 — 11 14 2