Amateur Baseball: Aces rally twice to beat Prescott

Red Wing rallied from two deficits Tuesday to beat Prescott 8-6 in Red Wing.

The Aces fell behind twice after Jared Powell home runs, but came back in the seventh inning to take a 7-6 lead on Dave Jenson’s two-run double.

“This is a perfect game leading into the playoffs,” Red Wing player-co-manager Andy Gibart said. “We got down, but we kept coming back a couple different times. That’s a great sign heading into the playoffs, getting those clutch hits and having guys step up in at-bats like that.”

Jenson had gone 0-for-3 in his previous at-bats and struck out twice. The Pirates intentionally walked No. 4 hitter Jimmy Bohmbach to get to Jenson.

Bohmbach scored the go-ahead run on a play at the plate. Prescott had Bohmbach nailed at the plate, but the ball got loose as Pirates catcher Jake Kushke made the tag on Bohmbach.

It was that kind of night for Prescott, which had several things go awry. Kyle Blahnik, who was on first base, reached safely into second base after a strikeout in the fourth inning when the Pirates tried to get a force out at second following a dropped third strike.

It proved costly. Josh Thygesen walked and Zach Garner came through with a run-scoring single that cut Prescott’s lead to 4-2. The Aces tied it up when Adam Thygesen hit a double to score Josh Thygesen and Garner.

The Pirates had a runner on first with one out in the top of the eighth, but got thrown out by catcher Steve Boldt. Boldt threw out three base runners in the game.

Prescott took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on the first of Powell’s two home runs. Powell sent a shot over the fence in left center field for a three-run homer. After Red Wing tied the game in the fourth, Powell delivered a two-run homer to put the Pirates up 6-4. Powell finished 3-for-4 with five RBI.

Boldt led the Aces with three hits and finished 3-for-5 with two runs. Bohmbach went 1-for-3 with a run and Jenson finished with three RBI.

“When you get production out of your three and four hitters like that, we’re going to win games,” Gibart said. “They were struggling at the beginning of the year and that’s why we were losing games. When Steve and Jimmy hit, the rest of the lineup usually follows suit.”

Aaron Johnson closed out the game for Red Wing, throwing the final four innings to pick up the win in relief of starter Jordan Warren. Johnson allowed just one hit, walked one and struck out four.

With the way the Aces have hit and the way Johnson, who will start Sunday, has thrown, the team might figure as a sleeper six seed when it opens the playoffs Sunday against top-seeded Miesville in Miesville.

“I feel pretty confident heading into Miesville with the way we’re hitting the ball and Aaron on the mound,” Gibart said. “Even though we were the sixth seed, we’re a dangerous six seed. I don’t think Miesville’s too happy to play us, I think they would have wanted another team, but they also wanted home field advantage.”

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