Baseball: Red Wing pitching stays hot against Winona

Senior pitcher Zach Garner kept Red Wing’s hot start going with another strong six innings of work in a 5-0 victory Saturday against Winona at the Red Wing Athletic Field.

After Saturday’s combined shutout, senior Carsten Meyer pitched the seventh inning, the Wingers’ team ERA is 0.63 in five games.

“Everyone’s around the plate,” Red Wing head coach Jim Bohmbach said. “We’re throwing a lot of strikes and we just make the plays. It’s just fun to coach.”

Garner improved to 2-0 on the season, giving up three hits, walking one and striking out six. He threw just 65 pitches and his ERA dropped to 0.46 in three starts with 14 strikeouts in 15 innings.

“It’s been incredible,” junior Ryan Boldt said of Red Wing’s pitching. “They’re pounding the strike zone and our defense is doing well.”

Bohmbach said the job senior catcher David Goggin is doing behind the plate is just as important as the performances by the pitchers. His ability to call games and block balls in the dirt puts the head coach at ease, he said.

“He’s probably one of the smartest catchers I’ve ever been around,” Bohmbach said. “Certainly that I’ve had.”

The first four innings Saturday were quiet as both teams mustered just three hits apiece. But in the fifth inning Red Wing senior Karsten Lampman worked a leadoff walk, his second in two at-bats, and the Wingers (5-0, 4-0 Missota) strung together four straight hits, including a double by Goggin and back-to-back triples by Boldt and senior Mike Stegora to score all five runs. Stegora was 3-for-3 with an RBI in the win.

Boldt continued his torrid start to the season and has 10 RBI in five games. He is hitting .471 and his adjustments at the plate have produced extra base hits in his second at-bat in the last two games. He finished 2-for-3 with two RBI after grounding out in his first at-bat.

“You just got to find a way to get them in,” Boldt said. “That first at-bat you want to see some pitches and be patient. It helps to know where his release point is and get a feel for the pitcher.”

Winona (3-3, 2-2 Big Nine) responded by putting the first two runners on following Red Wing’s offense outburst but Garner was able to strand them by getting the next three batters with a fly out, a strikeout and a weak ground ball to first base to end the inning.

“Zach was able to get back out there and get that momentum back on our side,” Bohmbach said.

Bohmbach said he wants the Wingers to come out with more passion early in games and take less time to jumpstart the bats but they continue to produce when needed.

“It’s all about focus, we just keep working on the mental part,” he said. “They’re a very resilient team.”

Three players had one hit for the Winhawks. Drew Thompson threw the final two innings, giving up one hit, walking one batter and striking out three.

Next up, Red Wing travels to face Academy of Holy Angels Monday in Richfield.

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