Legion Post 77 repeats as sub-state champs

Owatonna’s Legion Post 77 baseball team will take on the American Legion state tournament this week after repeating as the District One sub-state champions with a 3-2 extra-innings win over the No. 1 Rochester Redhawks in Stewartville last weekend.

Post 77 led 2-0 after the top of the sixth inning, but allowed Rochester to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh before ultimately taking the game with one run in the top of the eighth.

“You don’t like squandering a two-run lead. That seventh inning got away from us. We had a play we could have made up the middle and two guys who were one strike away… [The team] came into the dugout and they were disappointed, but they knew we had to bounce back and go get a run. Connor [Wiese] came up big today with a timely hit and Aedan [Tackmann] had two great secondary leads to get that run across,” said Post 77 Head Coach Tate Cummins.

After five scoreless innings to begin the game, Owatonna was the first team to light the scoreboard with some quality at-bats in the top of the sixth.

Tackmann started the rally with a leadoff single and moved into scoring position at second following an effective sacrifice bunt by A.J. Ulrich.

Jace Ulrich knocked Tackmann home with a one-out single in the next at-bat to put Post 77 up 1-0.

Wiese came to the plate next and watched Jace Ulrich make his way to third after stealing second and advancing to third on an error.

Wiese struck out during his plate appearance, but the two-out scenario didn’t faze Arik Tackmann as he stepped up to lace a line-drive single to right field that scored Jace Ulrich from third.

Owatonna held its 2-0 lead through the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a tremendous start by Gautier throwing 6.1 innings before being replaced by Jace Ulrich in the seventh.

“Hands down the best outing that I’ve ever seen him have,” said Cummins about Gautier’s start. “Hated to bring him out, but we had a plan with a runner on that we would turn the ball over. But a heck of a start. We don’t win that game without Jax.”

Despite Ulrich getting Rochester’s Victor Peterson to pop out to second base to begin the final half inning, Rochester began its own scoring rally with a single that beat third baseman Jae Herzog.

The Redhawks then found themselves with runners on first and second following a costly error at shortstop by Owatonna’s Arik Tackmann in the next at-bat.

Rochester had hopes of watching their runners score on a hard-hit line drive to left field, but Post 77 outfielder Wyatt Frantesl made an acrobatic catch on the play to hold the runners and make the second out.

With no room for error, Rochester’s Jack Ryan came in clutch with a line drive that beat right fielder Joe Klecker to the spot, resulting in a bases-clearing, two-run triple that tied the game at 2-2.

Rochester’s inning ended with a strikeout, but the damage was enough to extend the game with a top seed at state on the line.

Luckily for Owatonna, the eighth inning saw the lineup turn over with leadoff hitter Aedan Tackmann taking the plate first.

Tackmann took a first-pitch ball before powering a line drive to center field for a leadoff single.

A.J. Ulrich popped out in the next plate appearance, however, the quick out actually resulted in a net-positive for Post 77.

A throwing error by Rochester second baseman Lincoln Majerus in an attempt to turn a double play on Tackmann at first base instead allowed Owatonna’s speedster to take second and reach scoring position with one out.

Post 77 was unable to cash in immediately as Jace Ulrich struck out in the next at-bat, but Wiese came through as the team’s hero with two outs by sending a line drive into left field and scoring Tackmann from second.

Owatonna entered the final half inning with a 3-2 lead and needing just three outs to punch its ticket to state, but the Redhawks fought valiantly to play spoiler.

Jace Ulrich took over pitching duties from Gautier and began the bottom of the eighth with back-to-back walks, putting runners on first and second with nobody out.

Instead of panicking and taking Ulrich out, Cummins elected to let his veteran pitcher settle in – a decision that paid off in the end.

Rochester played some small ball and used a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with one out, but watched its opportunity to tie or win the game disappear after a foul out to the catcher and a strikeout by Ulrich.

Owatonna’s next game will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 30 against the Wayzata Wizards as part of the American Legion Baseball State Tournament’s blue pool playoffs at Riverside Park in Springfield.