Worthington Legion wins two, loses one in first two days of playoffs

Jul. 21—MANKATO — The Worthington Senior American Legion baseball team continued in the postseason playoffs on Thursday after winning two games and losing one Tuesday and Wednesday.

Post 5 opened the tournament at ISG Field in Mankato with a 4-2 extra inning win over Marshall. Then on Wednesday, they defeated second-seeded Jordan 14-13 before falling to a powerful Mankato Nationals team, 7-0.

The Worthington club plays against the Mankato Americans at 4 p.m. today (Thursday).

Tuesday

Worthington 4, Marshall 2 (8 inn.)

Coy Turner's one-out, two-run single in the top of the eighth inning broke a 2-2 tie and helped the Worthington Senior American Legion baseball team to a 4-2 extra inning victory over Marshall Tuesday in the first round of the postseason playoffs.

Post 5 led most of the way at ISG Field, but Marshall scored a single run off relief pitcher Triston Sauerbrei in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend the game. The showdown was ended in the eighth, however, thanks to Worthington bats that came alive in response.

Jake Brandner's ringing single to center-field led off the top of the eighth inning. Then Tate Gaul, after missing his first attempt to bunt, swung away and hit a liner to third base. Marshall third sacker Andrew Wallen made a nifty play to take a hit away from Gaul, but his throw to first base led his first baseman off the bag.

Now the Worthingtonians had runners on first and third with nobody out. Tommy Lais was called out on a third strike, but the next hitter, the left-handed-swinging Turner, bounced a base hit off pitcher Tyler Maeyaert's glove into center-field. Brandner and Gaul (who had moved up to second) both scooted home safely.

In the bottom of the eighth, Worthington's Brock Bruns — the third Post 5 hurler following starter Blake Ahrenstorff and reliever Sauerbrei — got Marshall out with little difficulty to preserve the win.

"I got down in the count right away," Turner said after Tuesday's game, "so that kind of stunk. You just gotta keep your head. ... I saw it come over the plate. I just swung. Good things happen."

ISG Field is springy artificial turf, which Legion teams rarely see. Fortunately for Turner, his bouncer took off.

"Usually when you hit it like that, it's a hard play — especially on artificial turf," he said.

Post 5 broke open a scoreless game with two runs in the second inning off Marshall's ace left-hander, Charlie Jacobson. Kent Lais stroked a one-out single and stole second. Cooper McCoy dropped a single inches in front of Marshall right-fielder Lincoln Graven, which he could not corral. As Graven picked it up, he fired to second to attempt to cut down the still-running McCoy, but the throw skidded wildly into left-field, scoring Lais and putting McCoy on third. A single by Bruns plated the second run.

Marshall scored once in the bottom of the second, and that's where it stayed until the seventh inning.

Ahrenstorff pitched admirably for six full innings, thrice stranding Marshall runners in scoring position.

"Blake Ahrenstorff absolutely was a rock star," said Post 5 head coach Tim Gaul. "That's the kind of pitcher we know he is. He came in there and did great."

After the Worthington team allowed Marshall to draw even in the seventh, the Worthington players were ready to re-take control.

"We were just making sure we were keeping each others' heads up," said Turner. "We've had some problems in the past, with us losing momentum and us not getting it back."

"I said to those guys, 'We gotta decide if we're really the team we think we are. If we're really 15 and 5, we can come back," Coach Gaul said.

Wednesday

Worthington 14, Jordan 13

Pitchers Sauerbrei, Bruns, McCoy and Brandner combined for the victory.

But the real story was Post 5's hitting. Kent Lais was 4-for-4 with a triple, two doubles and a single. Brandner was 3-for-4 with a triple, double and single.

There were 35 hits in the game — 18 by Worthington and 17 by Jordan. Jordan hitters connected for three home runs, and one of them was a grand slam.

Mankato Nationals 7, Worthington 0

The Nationals, regarded as one of the top Legion teams in the state, shut out Post 5 behind the team ace, who is getting looks from MLB scouts.

Worthington collected only two hits, one each by Jake Brandner and Tommy Lais.