The Austin baseball team scored all of its runs on home runs Monday, defeating host Rochester Century, 4-3.

Tuesday, May 09, 2000

The Austin baseball team scored all of its runs on home runs Monday, defeating host Rochester Century, 4-3.

Austin took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on back-to-back home runs.

After Matt Smith singled, Jamie Morrison hit a two run-home run. Brent Holck followed with a solo shot.

Holck, normally the team’s leadoff batter, was dropped to No. 7 in the order. Austin coach Jerry Miller juggled his lineup, hoping to put a halt to Austin’s three-game slide.

By the third inning, Century had tied the game at 3-3 against Austin starter Joe Huffman.

But in the sixth, Huffman clinched the win with a solo homer.

"It’s the first time I can remember scoring all of our runs on home runs," Miller said.

All told, Austin has hit eight home runs this season.

"I certainly didn’t expect that," said Miller, who was as pleased with the Packers’ error-less performance as he was with the long balls.

Huffman got the win in the game Holck earned the save with scoreless relief in the sixth and seventh innings.

Austin and Century waited through rain for more than two hours before starting the game. It may have been to Austin’s advantage.

"The ball carried well after it stopped raining," said Miller, whose club improved to 7-6, 7-5 in the Big Nine. Century fell to 9-5, 6-5 in the Big Nine.

Austin travels to Faribault today, before hosting Owatonna at Marcusen Park on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Austin softball falls, 2-1

After shutting out Winona on two hits last Thursday, the Austin softball team and starting pitcher Amy Kelly couldn’t reproduce that magic four days later.

Austin fell in Winona on Monday, 2-1.

Kelly, a freshman, allowed nine hits this time and fell to 6-4 on the season.

Austin managed six hits. Lauren Feller had two of those hits and Brooke Gentzler had three, including an RBI single that gave Austin a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

But Winona (7-3 overall and in the Big Nine) answered with one in the first and another in the bottom of the seventh to earn the victory.

Austin lost despite playing error-less ball for the fourth straight game.

"Same story for us," Austin coach Todd Waterbury said. "We’re playing good ball - getting good defense – but we didn’t get the hit that put us over the top."

Austin (7-7, 6-5) hosts Faribault at Todd Park today at 5 p.m.

Austin golfers get second

The Austin boys’ golf team managed a second place at the high-test Eden Prairie Invitational at Olympic Hills Golf Club on Monday.

The Packers finished ahead of defending state champion Eden Prairie. A week ago, Austin finished second to Eden Prairie at the Chaska Invite. This time, Wayzata edged the runner-up Packers.

"This was a nice tournament for us," Coach Claudia Pilot said. "We had the opportunity to play a quality golf course once again, which no one on the team had played.

"It really is a difficult course, with large greens that unfortunately had just been aereated, so they were a bit bumpy."

Brian Duren led Austin by carting a 78 on the par 73 course.

"He played great on the front nine," Pilot said, "but ran into some double bogey trouble on the back side."

David Lorenzen had the same type of round, finishing with a 79.

Greg Williamson had a good streak going, with three consecutive birdies on 13, 14 and 15, but ran into some trouble finishing the round and ended with an 82.

Today, Austin hosts Owatonna and Rochester John Marshall for our last home match of the season at 2:30 p.m.