Gunst's Gem Propels Post 180 to Championship

Pitcher Mark Gunst threw a four-hit, complete game shutout Tuesday to advance the Vienna Post 180 squad to the District 17 American Legion Baseball Championship game. 

The 8-0 victory marks the No. 1 seed's fifth win over No. 2 Post 176 this season, and sends Springfield to the losers' bracket to battle Falls Church Post 130 on Wednesday for a spot in Thursday's championship game against Vienna. 

Gunst, a Paul VI Catholic High School graduate, started the game with two straight three up, three down innings. After allowing two singles on two outs in the third, Gunst (2.23 ERA) did not give up a hit until the sixth inning and allowed Post 176's last hit in the seventh.

Post 176 tallied four hits against Gunst, who pitched nine strikeouts and one base on balls over nine innings.

"I was just trying to get ahead early in counts. They were swinging at a lot of early pitches, which helped me go deeper into the game," Gunst said.

Gunst's complete game helped strengthen Post 180's pitching staff, down one starting pitcher this week, heading into the championship, Coach Frank Werman said. Relievers Brandmark and Justin Padgett were able to rest their arms after pitching Monday night, making them available to help out Thursday behind starter Gavin Gibbons, if necessary.

"Gunst really stepped up for us tonight. ... If we ended up in the loser's bracket we might have been in trouble with our pitching," Werman said. "When he showed up to the game tonight, he had a confidence about him. He had that look. Then when he came out just pumping strikes, it was like, 'Yep, he's got his stuff.' ... That's the best I've seen him pitch all year. He had total control."

After three scoreless innings, the Post 180 offense offered Gunst the run support he needed. In the fourth, Post 180 opened scoring on a Jack Anzilotti double to knock in two runs. Dennis Cooney doubled on a line drive that ricocheted off the pitcher's back and rolled deep into center field to score Anzilotti. Ryan Forrest plated Cooney on an RBI groundout to put Post 180 up 4-0 heading into the fifth inning.

Post 180 added a few more insurance runs with an RBI single from Chris Hanson in the seventh and a bases-clearing double from Henry Brandmark in the eighth to put the final score at 8-0.

"I knew they were going to score runs, so I wasn't worried," Gunst said. "We always get in that inning where we score a bunch of runs, so I wasn't surprised by it. As soon as we had runs, I was just trying to hold the lead."

Post 180 will face the winner of Wednesday's Post 130-Post 176 matchup in the championship 7 p.m. Thursday at Waters Field. If Post 180 loses Thursday, they will play again Friday night to determine the winner of the double-elimination tournament. Post 180 last won the District 17 title in 2007.

"We haven't won anything yet, and I told these guys that," Werman said. "We have to come out and play our game. We have to go after it. Stay relaxed and confident and do our best."