Austin senior Clint Ripley threw seven shutout innings and drove in the game-winning run in his only plate appearance as Austin’s Legion Post 91 baseball squad stopped Owatonna, 2-0, Thursday night in 1st Division play at Marcusen Park.

Monday, June 11, 2001

Austin senior Clint Ripley threw seven shutout innings and drove in the game-winning run in his only plate appearance as Austin’s Legion Post 91 baseball squad stopped Owatonna, 2-0, Thursday night in 1st Division play at Marcusen Park.

Ripley allowed only three hits in the complete-game victory, striking out eight while walking none in Legion 91’s first victory in two games this season.

"The veterans kind of pulled us through and got us going," coach Mike Raso said of Austin’s four returning players.

Jeff Kvam, the lead-off hitter for Austin, went 2-3 with a double and scored the game-winning run on Ripley’s single in the fifth. Tim Johnson was 2-3 and played a strong game at shortstop, and catcher Andy Brede drove in courtesy runner Jason Boe with an insurance run in the fifth.

"Good pitching, good defense and timely hitting – overall we played a pretty steady game," Raso said.

Ripley hit for himself in the fifth after Kvam reached with a one-out double. After a wild pitch moved Kvam to third, Ripley laced a single through the drawn-in infield to plate Kvam as the game-winner.

Boe came in to run for Ripley, moving to second on a wild pitch and third on a single by pinch-hitter Nick Bowe. Brede, who caught the final three innings in place of Nate Bergene, blooped a single to right to drive in Boe as an insurance run.

Ripley apparently did not need the extra cushion, retiring the final nine Owatonna batters and 15 of the last 16 to come to the plate.

Mike Leathers and Derek Mullenbach added Austin’s other two hits in the game.

Post 91 lost its season-opener Monday to Northfield, 4-0, before bouncing back to win its first division game of the new year. Austin will host Faribo Saturday at 7 p.m. and LaCrosse, Wisc., for a doubleheader Sunday at 1 p.m. at Marcusen Park.

Call Ross Thede at 434-2234 or e-mail him at sports@austindailyherald.com.