Austin's pitching has been a constant all season long, and Saturday was no different.

The local Legion softball team -- driven by the pitching of Amy Kelly and Abbey Bergstrom -- allowed a total of five runs while collecting four wins en route to the top seed from the Southern Minny League and a spot at the Class A 18-and-under state tournament.

Austin, now 21-2 overall this summer, will play Saturday at 8 a.m. at Miller Park in Eden Prairie in the 31-team state tournament.

"It'll be good for us to see the high level of competition and see where we stack up," said Austin co-coach Todd Waterbury. "I think they are excited about the whole scope of things, I'm sure they'll hang tough."

The Class A field is commonly comprised of All-Star Metro teams, some of which compete nationally on an annual basis. After going 4-0 Saturday, Austin will see how it stands against the best.

"We'll see a lot of teams that are loaded," Waterbury said. "It'll be a unique challenge for us to go up there and make some things happen, and see what the best is all about."

The Austin Legion Post 91 squad worked its way into state by avoiding a pair of scary scenarios Saturday. Both Owatonna and Winona had the winning run on base in the top of the seventh thanks to some shaky Austin defense, but the local contingent emerged victorious nonetheless.

Austin opened the tournament with a 3-2 win over Owatonna, holding off a seventh-inning rally fueled by four Austin errors. Kelly, who allowed only four hits, struck out the final two batters with the bases loaded to preserve the win.

Steph Sundberg and Steph Eslinger provided the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth. Sundberg reached with a two-out single, moved to second on a passed ball, and scored on Eslinger's hit.

Bergstrom and Eslinger finished the game 2-3 with an RBI each.

Constant pressure

Both Austin and Northfield collected nine hits in the next game, but Post 91 put runs on the board in a 6-1 win. Austin led 5-0 through four innings and Bergstrom, who struck out seven, and the defense made the lead stick. Austin did not commit an error in game two after making four miscues in their state-qualifier opener.

Caitlin Jurgenson and Bergstrom each drove in runs with singles in the second, while Sundberg and Meggan Rider had RBIs in the third. Kelly rallied Austin in the third with a one-out double, and Nicole Turvey, Eslinger and Sundberg each walked. Rider followed with an RBI-single.

Austin answered Northfield's run in the fifth with one of its own as Sundberg reached with a two-out triple and scored on Rider's second hit.

"We spread it around like we have the tendency to do a lot," Waterbury said of Austin's offense.

Hanging on

The Legion defense again faltered behind Kelly, but Post 91 got the win over Winona 4-2 in its third game Saturday. Winona ended Austin's 10-game winning streak last Tuesday night by splitting a First District doubleheader, but Austin got revenge despite four more errors.

Kelly struck out seven, which included Winona's final out with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh. Both Winona runs were unearned to Kelly, who doubled in the third straight game Saturday.

Already with a 1-0 lead, Kelly doubled to lead off the fourth, moved up on a sacrifice bunt, and scored when Eslinger's grounder was misplayed.

Austin added much-needed insurance in the fifth as Kelly was plunked with the bases loaded and Bergstrom scored on a passed ball.

Two of Austin's three hits were doubles, including Bergstrom's run-scoring shot in the third.

No-no

Austin ended an up-and-down day with its best game of the tournament by pounding Red Wing 8-0 in five innings. Bergstrom tossed a no-hitter and the offense provided her with a 7-0 lead through two innings.

Rider ripped a bases-loaded, two-out double to highlight Austin's five-run first inning.

"She had a good tournament," Coach Waterbury said of Rider. "She made some real nice plays in the field, and she played all-around a very good tournament."

Leading 5-0, Bergstrom helped her own cause by leading off the second with a triple. Keri Feller followed with an RBI-double and Nicole Turvey plated her two outs later with a single.

Betsy Hingeveld drove in Austin's last run on a fielder's choice in the fifth.

Bergstrom, Feller, Turvey and Rider each accounted for two of Austin's 12 hits in the run-rule shortened victory.

Linescores:

Owatonna

000 000 2 -- 2 4 1

Austin

000 021 x -- 3 7 4

VonRuden and Adell; Kelly and Feller. 2B -- Kelly.

Northfield 000 010 0 -- 1 9 1

Austin

032 010 x -- 6 9 1

Graupmann and Vivant; Bergstrom and Feller. 2B -- Kelly. 3B -- Sundberg.

Winona

000 010 1 -- 2 5 3

Austin

001 120 x -- 4 3 4

Kelly and Feller. 2B -- Bergstrom, Kelly, Wing (W).

Austin

520 01 -- 8 12 1

Red Wing

000 00 -- 0

0 1

Bergstrom and Feller. 2B -- Feller, Rider. 3B -- Bergstrom.