Aug. 23—WACONIA — The Paynesville Pirates saw their season come to an end on Sunday in the state amateur baseball tournament with a 6-2 loss to the Austin Greyhounds at Lions Field.
Sunday was the first time the Paynesville Pirates franchise had played at the amateur baseball state tournament in its 28-year history.
“I thought we played well. But I thought early in the game we looked like a team that has never been to the state tournament before,” Pirates’ manager Ron Fuchs said. “There was a little bit of nerves I think in the beginning, just because it’s such a different atmosphere than what we’re used to.”
The Pirates began their matchup against the Greyhounds with a bright sun and warm temperatures. Over time, the weather would continue to change until the final out came with a chilly breeze and rain.
The Greyhounds had a strong opening against the Pirates. After downing Paynesville in order in the top of the first, Austin started the inning with lead-off batter Alex Ciola walking followed by a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single.
The Greyhounds would then follow it up by scoring its second run of the inning with an RBI double by Nestor Jimenez.
Ciola would score again in the second inning on a wild pitch.
Austin would then go scoreless until the sixth inning.
Right-hander Grady Fuchs, Paynesville’s starting pitcher, ended the day with six innings pitched.
“You could tell he didn’t really have his good stuff today,” Ron Fuchs said. “In that first inning, when he walked the lead-off batter, whenever you walk somebody in baseball, they always seem to find a way to score on you. Sure enough he came around and scored.”
Despite allowing seven hits and walking three batters, he finished the day with 12 strikeouts.
Ron Fuchs said he was proud of Grady’s performance despite the loss.
“I got to give him credit for battling,” Ron said. “Having that many strikeouts against a very good hitting ball club, I thought was very good for Grady.”
Despite not recording its first hit until the fifth inning, the Pirates scored their first run in the top of the third when Tanner Stanley reached home off an RBI by Grayson Fuchs.
There it stayed until Pirates’ Abe Bullard scored on an RBI single by Stanley, giving the Pirates’ hopes of potentially having another late comeback victory, as it did against Regal in regionals. But Paynesville saw its hopes end on a double play to end the inning.
Austin would then answer with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Ron Fuchs talked about what this season has meant to him.
“I’m just proud of them,” he said. “They’ve been playing together for so long and the fact that they’ve come together as a core group and made it to state is something I hope we can build on in the future.”
The manager is confident his team will be tough to play next summer.
“Every year that you make it, you feel more comfortable,” he said. “Next year, when they come, they will have had an opportunity to be here already and I think they’ll be more relaxed and the outcome will be a lot different.”
Austin 6, Paynesville 2
Paynesville 001 001 000-2 5 0
Austin 210 002 10x-6 9 1
Hitting — Paynesville: Grayson Fuchs 1-4 rbi, Abe Bullard 2-4 r, Garrett Leusink 0-3 bb, Tanner Stanley 2-3 r rbi bb, Sam Oehrlein 0-2 bb-2 … Austin: Alex Ciola 1-2 r-3 bb hbp-2, Miguel Castro 1-4 rbi-2 2b sac, Jordan Hart 1-3 r bb, Nestor Jimenez 2-4 r rbi 2b, Eric Torres 1-3 sac, Nels Nelson 3-4 rbi-2, Isaac Schumacher 0-3 r bb sb
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Paynesville: Grady Fuchs (L) 6-7-5-4-3-12, Matthew Gruber 1-2-1-1-0-1, Patrick Courtney 1-0-0-0-0-1 … Austin: Nels Nelson 2-0-1-1-2-1, Drew Copley (W) 5-5-1-1-2-2, Brady Schroeder 2-0-0-0-0-4
State Tournament
Class C
Results Saturday
Sobieski 2, Windom 0
Dumont 4, Richmond 3
Carver 3, Bird Island 2
Sartell Muskies 5, Hutchinson 1
Luxemburg 5, St. Benedict 2
Watertown 7, Midway 3
Spring Hill 4, Delano 3
Bemidji 12, New Prague 3
Results Sunday
Foley 6, Stark 4
Milroy Irish vs. Maple Lake, late
Kimball 3, Union Hill 0
Eagles Lake 3, Cannon Falls 1
Austin 6, Paynesville 2
Young America vs. St. Clair, late
Princeton 1, St. Stephen 0
Fergus Falls 4, Hanska 2
Games Friday, Aug. 27
Dumont vs. Loretto, 7:30 p.m. at Chaska
Foley at Waconia, 7:30 p.m.
Games Saturday, Aug. 28
Milroy Irish/Maple Lake winner vs. Jordan, 4:30 p.m. at Chaska
Kimball vs. Alexandria, 4:30 p.m. at Waconia
Eagle Lake vs. Luverne, 7 p.m. at Chaska
Spring Hill vs. New Ulm Brewers, 7 p.m. at Waconia
Austin vs. St. Patrick, 11 a.m. at Waconia
Young America/St. Clair winner vs. Ortonville, 11 a.m. at Chaska
Princeton vs. Watkins, 1:30 p.m. at Waconia
Fergus Falls vs. Martin, 1:30 p.m. at Chaska
Games Sunday, Aug. 29
Sobieski vs. Isanti, 4:30 p.m. at Chaska
Carver vs. Bluffton, 1:30 p.m. at Chaska
Sartell Muskies vs. Wanamingo, 4:30 p.m. at Waconia
Luxemburg vs. Ada, 11 a.m. at Waconia
Watertown vs. Avon, 11 a.m. at Chaska
Bemidji vs. Milroy Yankees, 1:30 p.m. at Waconia