Aces’ run ends in district play
Hastings Hawks’ third baseman Cole Benson, left, slides into home plate as Owatonna Aces’ pitcher Mitch Seykora watches. Owatonna’s defense collapsed in the third inning against Hastings, allowing six runs thanks to a slew of hits, walks, and errors. Staff photo by Johnnie Phillips
The Owatonna Aces season came to a close in District 5C play last weekend, after the team lost its first two games against No. 2 Austin and No. 3 Hastings.
Owatonna fought hard for runs against both teams, but ultimately fell victim to errors and strings of hits as the team gave up 10 runs in both games.
Against Hastings, the Aces went down 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning after a walk and an error in the field put two runners on early.
After failing to convert a double play, Owatonna gave up the first run of the game on a single that scored the runner from third.
Both sides remained close in score until the third inning, when things began to fall apart for Owatonna defensively.
After back-to-back singles to start the inning, pitcher Mitch Seykora hit the third batter to load the bases with nobody out.
A passed ball would score the first run and advance the runners to second and third before a two-run single pushed Hastings further ahead to 4-0.
Passed balls would eventually cost Owatonna another run to make the score 5-0 before the Aces went with a pitching change to put Gavin Rein on the mound.
Rein inherited two runs on first and second but could not stop the Hastings momentum by allowing a two-run double to his first batter faced.
Hastings ended up exiting the third inning with six total runs to lead 7-0.
Owatonna’s best chance to strike early came in the fourth inning, when the team had the bases loaded with one out.
A.J. Vandereide earned the Aces their first run by walking with the bases loaded, but it would be the team’s lone score in the frame after a controversial double play went in favor of Hastings.
According to the conversation on the field between Aces manager Cody Johnson and the umpire crew, the tag on the runner to third was never completed, while the first baseman also pulled his foot off the bag to negate the force out at first base.
Neither call was overturned by the umpires, resulting in the end of the inning for Owatonna.
Hastings would go on to add three runs between the fifth and seventh innings, while Owatonna would add one of its own in the same stretch.
Owatonna entered the ninth inning needing eight runs to extend the game but could muster just two more before finally being stopped at 10-4.
In the previous game, Owatonna faced a similar fate by falling 10-5 to No. 2-seeded Austin.
Owatonna’s two losses officially eliminated the team from District 5C play and put an end to the Aces’ 2023 season.