On the Bench with Byron Higgin

Coming into the high school baseball season, senior Austin Sorensen hadn’t done a lot of pitching. When he began, he showed a lively fastball but he struggled with his control, walking a few, hitting others.

But he gave the Minneota Vikings pitching staff some much-needed help. Last Monday Sorensen, who hasn’t pitched much during the summer American Legion season, picked up the ball and probably had his best showing of his young career.

He was spinning a two-hit, five-strikeout effort against Madison when he began to tire.

Unfortunately, his effort went for naught since the relief pitching didn’t stop the tide and eventually Madison came back from a 5-0 deficit to win, 7-5.

Sorensen added to his good game with a pair of booming doubles to the left-center-field fence and he knocked in three runs.

All of this was from a guy who didn’t pitch until his senior year and most of the time he was the victim of a designated hitter and he didn’t get many at bats.

But Sorensen always loved baseball, worked hard, kept a positive attitude and came away with a pretty solid season.

TWO MINNEOTA Vikings were named to the Marshall Independent All-Area baseball team. They were second baseman Teddy Pesch and pitcher/outfielder Landon Rolbiecki. Thomas Hennen was named honorable mention.