Rochester runs through open door

Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 20, 2002

The Patriots came knocking, but Austin did not answer.

Nobody was home for the local Legion Post 91 baseball team as the visiting Rochester squad scored the game-winning run in the first extra inning on a botched play by the Austin defense. The Patriots won 7-6 in eight innings, and the two teams shared responsibility.

Rochester leadoff hitter Mike White alertly tagged and scored from third base after a foul pop-up pulled Post 91 catcher Nate Bergene from the home plate in the top of the eighth inning, and nobody covered the base after the catch was made.

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With one out runners on the corners, Austin pitcher Nels Nelson forced the Patriots' clean-up hitter Paul Huey to lift a fly ball foul of first base. Local Legion first baseman Brett Hovey and Bergene gave chase, and Hovey calmly gloved the pop-up. White, seeing home plate unprotected, scampered in to score without a play.

"I saw that both the catcher and first baseman and everybody was running over there, I just did it on my own," White said.

"It was just an instinct play, just a weird play," said Austin Legion coach Bob Stratton. "Bottom line is the pitcher or third baseman have to know they have to come home."

Austin (5-3, 0-2) scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth and rallied for three more in the sixth to take a 6-5 lead, chasing Patriots starter Brian Jacobson from the mound. After Rochester rallied home a run in the top of the seventh, Patriots reliever Rocky Erickson put himself in a jam in the bottom half by walking Andy Klapperick with one out and plunking Bergene.

With two outs and a 6-6 tie, leadoff hitter Grant Lunning laced a single to left field, but Rochester's Jay Ellerbusch fired a perfect one-hopper to his brother behind the plate, Joe Ellerbusch, who made the tag on Klapperick for the final out.

Rochester (3-0, 3-0) pieced together the crazy game-winner in the next inning.

"Their left fielder made a nice play, the ball was in the only place it could be," Coach Stratton said.

Getting started

Rochester took an early lead off Austin starter Grant Lunning with a pair of doubles in the first inning, and added three more to chase Lunning from the hill in the third. Huey doubled home Mike Lawler in the first and hammered a two-run triple to the gap in right-center in the third.

Neil Toov provided three innings of one-run relief as Erickson drove in Huey for a 5-3 Rochester lead. Austin bounced back for three runs in the sixth to take the late-game lead, but a botched defensive assignment left Post 91 winless in league play.

"We just didn't hit the ball with runners in scoring position," Stratton said.

Both teams stranded 10 runners on base, including a bases-loaded situation for Austin in the third. Nick Bowe reached on a fielders' choice and Matt Johnson doubled to left-center. Kyle Rizzi was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, but the next two hitters could not get the ball out of the infield and Post 91 was held scoreless for another inning.

The Austin Legion team starts play in the Faribault Tournament one day early, facing Wayzata tonight at 6 p.m. Post 91 was originally scheduled to travel to Albert Lea tonight, but that game will

be rescheduled. Austin will play again Saturday and Sunday in the eight-team tournament.

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