The Austin Blue Sox and Hayfield Heat pushed each other to the brink in an amateur baseball game in Marcusen Park Monday and it wasn’t until the final out that the game was finally decided.

The Blue Sox survived five Heat comebacks to hold on to a 12-11 win.

Hayfield had the bases loaded in the top of the ninth when Blue Sox third baseman scooped a grounder and threw out Jordan Bale by a step to end a game, which went back and forth all night.

“It felt good to be done finally,” said Blue Sox center fielder Chris May. “They didn’t really have much pitching and there were a lot of balls up there. We couldn’t really throw a lot of strikes either. It was a long game.”

The game saw a total of 20 hits, 21 walks, four hit batters and six errors, and 21 of the runs were scored in the last five innings. Hayfield (14-6 overall) scored two runs in three straight innings to tie the game and it scored three in the eighth to tie it again.

“We just got done playing three league games in the past two days and we used up our main pitchers,” Heat pitcher and third baseman Tyler Krekling said. “Kyle (Van Wettering) and I haven’t pitched much this year and we were just hoping to have some fun here. We know a lot of those guys and it ended up being a good game.”

May delivered the decisive blow in the eighth for the Blue Sox (9-8 overall) when he lined a two-out single up the middle to score two runs and Brandon Rector made it a 12-9 game with an RBI-single. May also had a two-run, two-out single in the fifth inning.

May, who is a Southland grad, used to play against Krekling, a Hayfield grad, in high school and with him at Riverland Community College. He was glad the Blue Sox were able to hang on against the Heat, since they lost to them last season.

“It feels good,” May said. “Tyler had bragging rights last year, now I can kind of get back at him and give him some crap.”

May was facing a 2-0 count in the eighth inning and the Heat considered walking him, but decided to go after him with first base open.

“Looking back we should’ve walked him, but if we get him out, than it’s a good decision,” Krekling said.

Heat 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 2 — 11 11 2

Blue Sox 2 0 0 0 2 2 3 3 X — 12 9 4

Blue Sox pitching: John Kirby, 5 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 ER, 6 K, 1 HBP; Jon Mittag, 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 5 ER, 1 HBP; Brian Voigt (W), 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 ER, 3 K

Blue Sox hitting: Chris May, 4-for-5, 4 RBIs, 3 R, BB; Jamie Adams, 0-for-3, 2 R, BB, 2 HBPs; Brandon Rector, 1-for-3, RBI, R, 2 BBs; John Kirby, 2-for-5, 2 RBIs; Nate Wilson, 1-for-2, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs; Carter Guthmiller, 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB; Brady Klingfus, 0-for-2, R, BB; Preston Higbe, 0-for-4, R, BB; Jamey Pratt, 0-for-1, 2 BBs; Quinn Yocom, BB, SB; TJ Parlin, 0-for-2; Cody Meyer, 0-for-2; Josh Kunze, R, HBP; Brian Voigt, RBI, R, BB

Heat pitching: Tyler Krekling, 5 IP, 6 H, 8 BB, 6 ER, 2 K; Kyle Van Wettering (L), 4 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 6 ER, 4 K, 2 HBP

Heat hitting: Krekling, 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, HBP; Van Wettering, 1-for-5, R, SB, BB; Shawn Palmer, 0-for-3, RBI, R, SB, 2 BBs; Travis Kauffman, 2-for-5, RBI, R; Shane Barry, 1-for-2, R, 2 BBs, 2 HBPs; Jordan Bale, 1-for-4, 2 RBIs, BB; Jake Krier, 2-for-5, RBI; Cooper Nelson, 1-for-4, RBI, R, BB; Nick Thompson, 1-for-5, 2 R, SB