The Winona baseball season came to an end Monday with a doubleheader loss to Magee in the opening round of the 3A payoffs.
Winona won the first game in the best of three series 4-3, but Magee bounced back with 5-0 and 9-2 victories.
Magee is the top ranked team in 3A according to the website MaxPreps with a 24-5 record. Winona's victory in the first game was Magee's only loss to a 3A opponent. Magee won Region 6-3A while Winona qualified for the playoffs as the fourth place team from 5-3A.
Nick Murphy and Mitch Stewart each hit a two-run homer and Jon Reuben Chesteen went the distance for Winona in the Tigers' 4-3 victory.
“We played together defensively,” said Coach Mark Austin. “We did everything right. We did everything the way I knew we could all season.”
Magee scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Winona lead to 4-3 and had the tying run at third with two outs. A pitch got past catcher Austin Winters, but he was able to run the ball down and throw to Chesteen who tagged the runner out at the plate, ending the game.
Magee outhit Winona 19-3 in the doubleheader. “We played good defense. We just didn’t hit,” Austin said.
Timon Kennedy pitched a one-hitter with seven strikeouts for Magee in the 5-0 game.
The decisive game was 1-1 until Magee scored two runs in the third and four in the fourth. Garrett Ables had a double and scored one run for Winona. Chesteen had an RBI and scored a run.
Cayden Bridges homered for Magee.
Looking ahead to next year, Winona will need to replace five seniors five seniors from in the starting lineup.
