The Austin Post 91 American Legion baseball team opened its annual tournament with a 2-1 win over Rosemount.

Friday, July 07, 2000

The Austin Post 91 American Legion baseball team opened its annual tournament with a 2-1 win over Rosemount.

Joe Huffman pitched a masterful three-hitter at Marcusen Park Thursday night to secure the quarterfinals win. Huffman made the big pitches when he had to. He got the last out of the inning on three occasions with strikeouts. In the third, he left stranded a runner on third and in the fourth a runner on second with a big K.

"My fast ball had a lot of pop," Huffman said. "When I needed to get the big out I went with the fast ball. My control was sporadic throughout the game."

Huffman struck out five and walked two.

The only runs Huffman would need were scored by courtesy runners Andy Brede and Jeff Kvam in the second inning. Catcher Josh Kunze led off the second with a single. Brede came in to run for him. Tony Miller followed with a single. Huffman got aboard on a fielder’s choice with Miller thrown out at second, 6-4. Kvam ran for Huffman. On a hit-and-run, Clint Ripley hit a fly ball to center and Brede tagged up and scored from third. Kvam then stole second. He then scored on a Mark Toov single.

The Rosemount base runners were few and far between. When they had to, the Austin defense was up to the challenge even though they made three fielding miscues. Kunze caught Rosemount lead-off hitter Sam Giliuson stealing second in the fifth. Third baseman Syd Schramm and shortstop Nick Rohne made the plays in the field in the top of the seventh.

"Syd and Rohne made two nice plays to end the game," Post 91 coach Mike Raso said.

Because the Rochester Redhawks dropped out of the tournament at the last minute, the loser of the game between Austin and Rosemount had to play Faribault in the second quarterfinals game of the night. The loser, Rosemount, lost its second game of the night 14-0. Austin (14-10) now plays Faribault in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Saturday.

There are two quarterfinals games tonight pitting North St. Paul against Maple Grove and Osseo against Minneapolis Post 1.

There are three games Saturday at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. There are four games on Sunday with Austin guaranteeing three games for all teams in the tournament playing in the seventh-place game at 10 a.m. Rosemount plays in the fifth-place game at 12:30 p.m., the third-place game starts at 3 p.m. and the first-place game gets under way at 6 p.m.

"I wanted to make sure that all the teams that came got three games in," Raso said.

Rosemount 001 000 0-1 3 0

Austin 020 000 x-2 6 3

Weise and Saintey; Huffman and Kunze. 2B- AUS: Morrison.