VFW baseball: Cottage Grove's playoff run stopped by rival Woodbury

• Jordan McGowan

Jordan McGowan and the Post 8752 team’s bats were silenced, for the most part, as its season came to an end on Wednesday, July 22 at Park High School in a 5-3 loss to rival Woodbury.

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After scoring 41 runs in its last four games, one wouldn’t think scoring runs would be a problem for the Cottage Grove VFW baseball team.

However, the Post 8752 team’s bats were silenced for the most part as its season came to an end on Wednesday, July 22 at Park High School in a 5-3 loss to rival Woodbury, which avenged an 8-6 regular-season loss to Cottage Grove with the playoff victory.

Woodbury scored four runs in the top of the third inning and never trailed in the game. Cottage Grove had its chances — leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and leaving two on in the seventh — but was kept at bay by Woodbury’s starting pitcher, who threw a complete game seven-hitter.

For Cottage Grove, Park junior Jordan McGowan started the game on the mound, going five innings, allowing seven hits and five runs as the Post 8752 defense committed four errors behind him. In relief, Eric Roney threw two innings of no-hit baseball as Cottage Grove clawed back into the game.

However, although the team cut a 5-0 deficit to 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, that’s as close as Post 8752 would get.

Cottage Grove ended the year 11-8 overall and winners of seven of its last eight games.

See the July 29 issue of the Bulletin for the full story and additional photos.

Tags: cottage grove, sports, baseball, park, vfw