EDWARDSVILLE — It had been nearly a year since Austin Ruesch, a pitcher for the Metro-East Bears American Legion team, started a game. And after a slow first inning, it was like old hat for him.
Ruesch gave up a two-run homer in the first inning of the Bears’ game Monday night against Festus, Mo. Post 257. After that, he settled in and gave up only one more run while striking out 11 and walking only two — one intentionally — as the Bears defeated Festus 4-3 at Roy E. Lee Field at SIU-Edwardsville.
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As you might expect, Ruesch was feeling nervous going into the start, but settled in as the game went along.
“Yeah, I was a little nervous,” Ruesch said in a post-Fgame interview. “I started out a little rocky, but settled in, got used to it again, just back in the rhythm.”
Ruesch used a simple plan in order to get the opposing batters out.
“Putting the ball where I needed to, where it’s called a strike and they can’t hit it,” Ruesch said.
As far as the new Legion season goes, Ruesch hopes to accomplish much in his return to the mound.
“I hope to compete, give them a lot of innings,” Ruesch said. “I haven’t pitched in a while, so I need to get a lot of innings. Just throw a lot, probably.”
Ruesch’s main key to success is to establish the tone early in the count.
“Setting the tone with the fastball early in the counts,” Ruesch said. “That way, I could use the breaking ball later in the count to get swings and misses.”
And as the summer progresses, expect to see Austin Ruesch as a key part of the success of the Bears’ pitching staff and team.
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