With the winning run on second base, Linn-Mar fans were excited to see Austin Stroschein step to the plate Tuesday night. Up to that point, he had two doubles, a triple and five RBIs. The stage was set for a heroic final swing.

But instead of belting another line drive, he found another way to be the hero. Stroschein laid down a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt, advancing runners to second and third.

Two batters later, a passed ball scored Michael Redmond from third base to give the Lions a 12-11 victory in the nightcap of their Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at Linn-Mar.

“I was just trying to get the job done and get the win, that is all that really matters,” said Stroschein.

Linn-Mar won the first game, 5-1.

Against a strong opponent in Xavier, individual success wasn’t going to ensure a victory. Team baseball was what allowed the Lions to win.

“What I am seeing out of this group is not a lot of ‘swings for me,' it is ‘swings for we',” said Linn-Mar Coach Chad Lechner. “If one guys gets on base, we are relying on the next guys doing the same thing and stringing two or three hits together instead of going for the one big hit.”

With the score tied at 11-11 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Linn-Mar center fielder Redmond led off with a single. Mitchell Stickney then hit a sharp grounder right to Xavier pitcher Corbin Woods, who fielded it cleanly. The Saints were poised for a quick double play, but the shortstop bobbled Woods’ throw and all runners were safe.

That set up Stroschein’s bunt, moving the runners to second and third. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, a Woods pitch glanced off theglove of Xavier catcher Luke Hammerberg and Redmond came in for the winning score.

“It is very encouraging, because you know that is a good team we were getting down to and they are going to keep putting pressure on you offensively,” said Lechner. “To get down and to just keep battling and hanging in there is just phenomenal.”

After scoring only one run in the opener, the Saints came out hungry in the second game. They scored six runs in the first two innings to open up a 6-2 lead. But Linn-Mar kept it simple, and kept putting the ball in play.

With two outs in the fourth, Stroschein lined a double into the left-center gap, scoring two and tying the game at 6-6 momentarily. He then scored on a passed ball to give the Lions a 7-6 edge.

Xavier fought back. The Saints scored runs in the fifth and sixth innings, pushing them ahead 11-7.

But in the sixth for the Lions, Stroschein struck again. With runners on first and second, he lined a shot down the right field line for a triple, scoring two runs. He scored a few pitches later on a passed ball, pulling the Lions within 11-10. Linn-Mar’s Nate Greve scored on a passed ball later in the inning to even the score at 11-11.

“The wind was crazy today, so if you put the ball in play it is a possibility of being a good hit,” said Stroschein. “So our mentality the whole game was just trying to get a base hit and hopefully it will drop somewhere.”

Lechner noted the timeliness of his Lions’ bats as one of the most important keys to victory.

“We had some clutch hitting during that one big inning and we had seven two-out hits overall. That is what did it for us right there,” he said.

The opener showcased a supreme effort from a senior Linn-Mar pitcher. Jake Stolley took the ball for the Lions and proved he could shut down a powerful Xavier lineup. Stolley went all seven innings, allowing only one run on three hits while striking out 12.

“He was fantastic,” said Lechner. “He got stuff figured out and calmed down a little bit. He filled up the zone, got ahead in counts, and let the defense work for him.