Manitowoc’s 19-U American Legion baseball team will play at least one more game at the AAA state tournament after defeating Eau Claire Post 53 in an elimination game by the score of 11 to 2 at Bukolt Park in Stevens Point Thursday afternoon.
Post 88 sent eleven men to the plate in the top of the third inning, scoring five times.
Third baseman Landon Chalupny of Roncalli has two hits and an RBI in the frame and would end up making the defensive play of the game.
With one run in for Eau Claire in the bottom of the fourth inning and runners at first and second, Chalupny smothered a shot down the left field line, stepping on the bag for a force out at third to end the threat.
Manitowoc would add six runs in the fifth on run-scoring base hits by Chalupny and Cade Voelker of Kiel, a wild pitch, and a three-run home run by Manitowoc Lincoln’s Brayden Steinbecker.
Post 88 had 12 base hits and took advantage of four Eau Claire errors to keep their season alive.
Lincoln’s Bennett Johnson threw a complete game, scattering nine hits to earn the victory as Manitowoc improved to 21- 10.
Eau Claire Post 53 finishes its season at 20-9.
Post 88 will play Friday (tomorrow) afternoon at 4:30 p.m. against Middleton, with the first pitch of that game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday (tonight).
