Huskies Rally to Win Baseball Opener
Owatonna's baseball team rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat Red Wing 7-3 Thursday in their season opener. OHS softball started their season with 15-7 victory at Red Wing.
The Wingers built their lead with single runs in the first, third and fifth inning. They threatened several times but never put a big number on the board. The last of the fires was put out by Owatonna senior Kodey Kiel. He took the hill with one out, one run in and runners on second and third base. Kiel promptly struck out the next two batters.
The Huskies came up in the bottom of the fifth and turned the game around with a six-run, five-hit frame. Brock Hanson walked, Noah Budach singled and Spencer Glynn put down a good bunt that Red Wings first baseman threw past their third baseman while trying to take out the lead runner.
Owatonna followed that with four straight hits. Kiel delivered a two-run single, Tucker Alstead singled him in and Abe Havelka doubled in a run. Ben Staska added a sacrifice fly later in the inning for a 6-3 lead.
Kiel struck out the first batter of the sixth on three pitches, but Red Wing loaded the bases with an error, walk and single. Kiel struck out the No. 3 batter on a full count and fanned the clean-up man on three pitches. He ended the game with seven strikeouts on the eight outs he got. Red Wing stranded 11 runners on base, compared to six by Owatonna.
Kiel went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI. Havelka had a pair of doubles. Budach had two singles. The Huskies outhit the Wingers 10-8. Owatonna (1-0) travels to Winona on Tuesday for a 5PM game.
OHS softball opened their season with a 15-7 victory at Red Wing. Tiana Blazek threw the complete game, striking out 11 and giving up just three hits. Blazek also batted 3-for-4. Owatonna's Saturday game against Rochester JM has been reschedule to April 21.
In area baseball Tuesday, Bethlehem Academy beat Medford 3-2, Hayfield whipped Triton 21-2 and USC dominated NRHEG 22-3. In local softball, USC edged NRHEG 5-2, Bethlehem Academy beat Medford 13-7 and Zumbrota-Mazeppa shutout Triton 9-0.