The Post 91 Austin American Legion baseball team and the Rochester A’s battled through the evening and deep into the night Wednesday at Marcusen Park.

Thursday, June 22, 2000

The Post 91 Austin American Legion baseball team and the Rochester A’s battled through the evening and deep into the night Wednesday at Marcusen Park. The A’s came from behind in both games and swept the doubleheader 7-6, 16-14.

The A’s came from four runs down in the first game. In game two the A’s built a 10-2 lead before losing that edge due to a relentless Austin attack. Austin scored three in the fourth on a three-run homer by Joe Huffman, six in the fifth with the big play being Huffman making it to second base on a third strike wild pitch, and two more in the sixth with one run scoring on a Huffman squeeze bunt, to take a 13-10 lead. The A’s then scored six in the top of the seventh to take back the lead.

"It was a weird game," Austin’s Nick Rohne said.

The evening began looking like it would be a quick night. Game one was scoreless through 3 and 1/2 innings. Rohne retired 11 of the 13 batters he faced in the first four innings. His battery mate Josh Kunze got the assist on the 12th out catching Travis Krohn stealing to end the A’s 4th.

The Legion then scored four in their half of the fourth. Huffman hit a RBI double and Rohne a RBI triple.

In the top of the fifth Rohne gave up three safe hits with no runs scoring. He also struck out two batters in the inning for the first two outs. The situation then was two outs with the bases loaded. Krohn then launched a rocket which splashed down over the left field fence tying the score at four.

"I got a little tired in the later innings," Rohne said. "I wasn’t hitting my spots."

The A’s went up 6-4 with two runs in the fifth. Austin came back with a two-run rally in the sixth. Rohne got on base via error. Mark Toov then beat out a bunt. Tony Miller then hit an RBI single. Syd Schramm then put across a second run on a ground out.

The A’s Blake Kangas then scored the winning run in the seventh. He doubled with one out. After an intentional walk and a single loaded the bases Eric Ruopsa hit a sacrifice fly to score Kangas.

Game two saw the A’s put up a two-spot, a three-spot, a one-spot, and a four-spot in the first four innings. They got some big hits but also were helped by a number of wild pitches.

Huffman was then the center of the Austin rally. He hit a three-run homer to get things going. In the six-run fifth Austin got big hits from Matt Smith who hit a lead off triple off the right field fence and Brent Holck who hit a two-run single.

Andy Brede got the sixth inning going the same way Smith did in the fifth with a triple. Brede got caught in a run down on a grounder to the pitcher by Rohne. A hustling Brede made it safely back to third base and Rohne got to second. Huffman then put Austin up by two with a squeeze bunt. Rohne later scored on a RBI single by Holck.

It looked like the three-run Austin lead would be safe as Nate Hansen took the mound for his third inning of work. Hansen had retired six of the seven batters he had faced including two by strike out. A wild game then got even more wild as Hansen hit the first batter he faced and then walked then next one. Hansen then got the first out of the inning on a 1-3 ground out. He then walked the next batter to load the bases. A short fly to center put Austin one out away from a win. Ruopsa, however, then singled to score one. Nate Eidem followed with a RBI single. Holck relieved Hansen. John Jans then stroked a single to right that plated two and gave the A’s a 14-13 lead.

"I was a little intimidated," Jans said, "because they said he had some speed. I just took the ball to the opposite field."

Chris Nelson got two more runs across with another single.

Austin did not give up. After falling behind 0-2 in the count and then getting back to a full count Brede hit a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh. Rohne then scored him on single.

Huffman then came to the plate. He got in a hole on the count. Strike two was a defensive foul ball. A high inside pitch hit Huffman’s bat as he was ducking away. Rochester’s relief pitcher then threw a nasty curve ball that Huffman swung and missed to end the game.

"We are going to learn how to win these kind of games," Legion coach Mike Raso said. "The A’s who are nine-year 1st District champs know how to win them now."

After a day of rest after two long nights of baseball the Legion (7-7) is back on the field Friday night in Faribault at the Faribo tourney. Austin plays at 8:30 p.m. against Farmington.