There was an eight-hour bus ride each way when the Winona baseball team traveled to Florida for two games during Spring Break, but coach Mark Austin feels the trip was beneficial.
“The main thing is that it keeps the guys together for teamwork,” he said. “The more they are together, the better they will play.”
The Tigers dropped both games, losing to Ponce de Leon 9-3 and Rocky Bayou Christian 7-4. Both schools are located on the Florida Panhandle, between Pensacola and Tallahassee. There was a third game scheduled against Paxton. “When we got there Sunday afternoon, the coach called and cancelled,” Austin said.
Against Ponce de Leon, Dakarrin Crawford, Mitch Stewart, Austin Winters and Jon Reuben Chesteen had hits for Winona. Crawford and Chesteen each had RBIs and Garret Ables scored twice.
Chesteen pitched the first five innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits, with six strikeouts.
The Tigers had five hits against Rocky Bayou, led by Stewart with a single, double and two RBIs. Winters doubled, Chesteen and Taylor Barfield singled.
Austin said Cade Eldridge pitched well, allowing seven hits and four earned runs, with four strikeouts, in 5.1 innings. “We can't make plays behind our pitchers. Errors are killing us.”
This is the first time since Austin became Winona coach that the team has taken a Spring Break trip, but he hopes to make it an annual event. “That's my goal here. This is an opportunity to do something completely different, to experience things you normally would not experience. It was great.”
He said the players loved the trip, which was paid for by fundraisers.
The Tigers (3-5) began play in MHSAA Region 2-2A Tuesday against East Webster and will play at East Webster Friday and have a home game Saturday against Calhoun Academy.
