GREEN ISLE — Thursday’s action at the Third District Tournament couldn’t have started much worse for the Mankato VFW Post 950 baseball team. So coach Ethan Anderson told his team of 16-year-olds not to panic, and they didn’t.
“We made some physical errors, but we made it worse with mental mistakes, which you can’t have at this time of the season,” Anderson said. “I just reminded them (after the first inning) that there was a lot of game left. We just needed some quality at-bats, and we did a good job of that.”
Mankato fell behind 3-0 early but rallied twice for a 7-6 victory over Hutchinson in the opening round of the district tournament.
In the second game Thursday, Mankato fell to Eagan 3-1.
Post 950 made four fielding errors and a couple of mental errors in the first game but overcame those problems with clutch, two-out hitting.
“After we started getting some hits, that got us going,” pitcher Toby Turbes said. “We realized we just needed to start having fun.”
Three fielding errors, and a misplay on a double steal, allowed Hutchinson to lead 3-0 after the top of the first. Five of the first seven Mankato batters struck out, but Lucas Ohme, pinch-hitter Griffin Kozitza and Joe Kopel each hit singles to load the bases with two outs. Turbes stroked a bases-clearing double to deep right, and Derek Quame added an RBI single to put Mankato up 4-3 after three innings.
“We’ve had a lot of games where we’ve been down early,” Turbes said. “We had a bad start, but he overcame it.”
Hutchinson regained the lead with a three-run fourth inning, though only one run was earned. Mankato responded in the fifth with three runs to take the lead for good. Quame and Jimmy Kiefer each had two-out RBI singles, and another run scored on an error.
Turbes worked into the seventh, allowing six hits and four walks with five strikeouts, but he left after giving up a leadoff single. Zach Woodside walked the next batter, and a wild pitch put the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position. But he got a strikeout, infield popup and grounder to get the save.
Against Eagan, Mankato led 1-0 when Jim Vosburg scored from third base on a throwing error but managed just three hits in the game.
“We didn’t put up much of a threat,” Anderson said.
Eagan overtook Mankato with a three-run rally in the sixth inning, getting four hits and a walk.
Quame took the loss, allowing seven hits, striking out one and walking two over seven innings. Mankato also committed three errors.
Mankato (11-15) plays at 2 p.m. today against the winner of an earlier game between Farmington and Sleepy Eye.
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Related Photos
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Mankato VFW Post 950 shortstop Britt Vaubel lunges for a ground ball during the third district tournament Thursday in Green Isle. Pat Christman
Comeback kids
Post 950 rallies to beat Hutchinson 7-6
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