Despite playing with a make-shift roster of 10 players, the Austin Greyhounds are just a win shy of the state amateur baseball tournament.

Monday, August 09, 1999

Despite playing with a make-shift roster of 10 players, the Austin Greyhounds are just a win shy of the state amateur baseball tournament.

The Hounds downed Mankato on Sunday, 5-4, beating their Southern Minny League rival for the first time in six seasons.

The Stars are 3-1 in the playoffs, having beaten Owatonna, Albert Lea and Mankato. Their lone loss is to Rochester, which has earned one of the two state spots reserved for the league.

Austin squares off against Waseca, which is also 3-1, on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Waseca. The winner earns the final state berth.

Austin got by Mankato behind outstanding pitching performances from Tim Brandt and Brian Toov.

Brandt tossed 7 1/3 innings of three-hit ball. Toov finished off Mankato with 1 2/3 innings of one-hit relief.

Tied 4-4, Austin scored the winning run in the top of the eighth.

In addition to his heroics on the hill, Toov had two of Austin’s seven hits.