Park edges Hastings in American Legion ball

Posted 6/29/22

By John Molene St. Paul Park Post 98 American Legion team won in much the same way as Park High School won 20 games last spring – solid pitching and defense, aggressive play, and getting a key hit …

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Park edges Hastings in American Legion ball

Posted

By John Molene

St. Paul Park Post 98 American Legion team won in much the same way as Park High School won 20 games last spring – solid pitching and defense, aggressive play, and getting a key hit at just the right time.

Park manufactured a run in the top of the seventh inning then sent the hosts down in the bottom of the inning fairly quietly to edge Hastings 5-4 in American Legion baseball Monday evening at Veterans Park in Hastings.

Park scored two runs in the top of the first, but Hastings came back strong with four runs in the bottom of the second. Park then tied the game at 4-all in the sixth and won it in the seventh.

With two out in the seventh, Park’s Logan Doherty reached on an error, stole second, then came in to score on a single by Noah Janski.

The Cottage Grove team improved to 4-2-2 on the season.

“Our guys have played this Hastings team three times and Hastings likes to chatter and our guys did an excellent job of staying committed to good swings and as you see we had two in the first and then we went quiet but out bats we kept swinging and kept swinging and following our approach and we were very aggressive on the bath paths,” said Park manager Dan Harrison. “We steal bases, we do fake steals, we hit and run, and we move people and that pressure ended up continued to set us up to have guys in scoring position. And we had more hits, more opportunities and the guys just stuck with the plan and executed.”

Park outhit Hastings 12-7.

“We’ve been very good at following our process,” Harrison added. “Obviously, great pitchers on the other side can change that. And we lost one 1-0 in eight up in Forest Lake last week. In a situation like this, though, we just keep doing it. Our pitchers have been pitching well. Brady Drkula pitched fantastic. But it’s the little things. It’s the steals, it’s the base running, it’s the picking up on pitcher’s trends that our guys do well and that we really emphasize as coaches. And that puts pressure constantly on teams, which generally means that we’re always in a game.”

Park opened the game strong on singles by Boston Weidner, Adam King, a double by Logan Doherty and another single by Noah Janski. Threw in a pair of stolen bases by Weidner and King and just like that Park had a 2-0 lead.

Doherty and Noah Janski opened the sixth innings with singles and both would come into score, tying the game at 4-all. Brady Drkula flied out to right and Justin Kasa singled to drive in the runs.

Park plays at Oakdale Wednesday, June 29, then at Inver Grove Heights Thursday, June 30, both games starting at 6 p.m. The team is then off for the holiday weekend, resuming play Wednesday, July 6 with a game at River Falls.

Photo by John Molene Park players celebrate a come-from-behind 5-4 win at Hastings Monday evening.

The Hastings catcher tags out a Park runner at the plate Monday. Park was aggressive on the basepaths and that helped key a 5-4 win. Photo by John Molene

Park’s Adam King waits for the ball to arrive to force an out at second base against Hastings Monday. Photo by John Molene

Park’s Brady Drkula winds up to unleash a strike in the against Hastings Monday at Veteran Park. Photo by John Molene