Robbinsdale Armstrong relief pitcher Jordan Kuznia watched as first basemen Jacob Woessner fielded a ground ball and touched first for the final out in the Class 3A, Section 6 championship against Benilde-St. Margaret’s.
Robbinsdale Armstrong coach Brain Sobiech decision to send Kuznia, a senior, to the mound in the final inning of the said the 8-5 victory was a calculated one.
“I wanted to send a message to our team that we were going to finish this thing right now,” he said after the Falcons earned a trip to the state tournament for the first time since 2010.
Kuznia said the only thought on his mind beforetaking the walk to the hill was to get in, throw strikes and get out.
Kuznia did just that by registering two quick strikeouts before Red Knights catcher Chris Landis grounded out to end the game.
Sobiech said he had confidence in Kuznia to finish the game because Kuznia had thrown six shutout innings against Benilde- St. Margaret’s last Wednesday.
Red Knight’s head coach Greg Hoemke said the Falcons have two good lefty pitchers at their disposal.
“(Kuznia) came in here and looked great when he shut us down there at the end,” Hoemke said.
The other lefty pitcher Hoemke is referring to is junior Jack Wibben, who started for Robbinsdale Armstrong and was credited with the win. He finished with four strikeouts, three walks and three earned runs.
Half of the Falcons runs came courtesy of junior Matthew Bachmeier as he recorded four RBIs, including a two-run double early in the second inning.
“All year long he has been a great RBI guy for us," Sobiech said. "He just makes contact and squares up on the ball a lot. He does a fantastic job driving the ball through the holes in the infield.”
Benilde-St. Margaret’s scored four runs in the fifth inning. Two came courtesy of senior Marshall Hoemke, who sent a rocket into the outfield for a two-run double.
The Red Knights' rally ended when junior Tyler Wyvell popped up to short for the third out of the inning.
Robbinsdale Armstrong looks to continue it’s undefeated postseason run starting next Thursday in the opening round of the state Class 3A tournament at Midway Stadium in St. Paul.
Benilde-St. Margaret's Keaton Studsrud congratulates Chris Racchini in an attempted comeback for the Red Knights in their 8-5 loss to Armstrong. Photo by Rick Orndorf
First Report
Robbinsdale Armstrong reliever Jordan Kuznia delivered two closing strikeouts as the Falcons completed an 8-5 victory over Benilde-St. Margaret's on Monday in the Class 3A, Section 6 championship game at Siebert Field.
The victory puts the Falcons in the state tournament for the first time since 2010. Jack Wibben earned the win and Kuznia the save. Senior Matthew Bachmeier drove in four runs.
Robbinsdale Armstrong jumped to an early lead, scoring six runs in the first two innings. The Red Knights responded with four runs in the fifth inning, but that was the closest they would get.
Benilde-St. Margaret’s committed a season-high six errors to only one for Robinsdale Armstrong.
The final out came in a three up, three down effort in the top of seventh inning.
