KASSON -- The Austin Merchants had Kasson on the ropes, but the Coyotes got lucky in the end.

Kasson Coyotes' player/coach Brad Soderberg scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, preventing a season-sweep for the Merchants Tuesday night in Kasson.

Soderberg struck out to lead off the seventh, but the pitch from Merchants' hurler Mike Haugen got away from catcher Josh Kunze. Kunze chased down the loose ball, but his throw sailed over the first baseman's head into right field. Soderberg stole second with one out and moved to third on a grounder.

Even with a short backstop behind home plate, Soderberg scored on a wild pitch moments later.

"It was surprising that he was going and even scored, but he got a really good jump," said Merchants player/coach Nate Hansen. "They were kind of counting on that as their only chance to score in that situation. It could have gone either way."

The flip from Kunze to Haugen at the plate was in time, but Soderberg appeared to slide underneath the tag to tally the game-winner.

"It's tough to call a guy out when he beats the ball there," Hansen said. "It's tough to lose that way."

Haugen struck out nine, allowed four hits and one earned run -- a solo homer in the bottom of the third that gave Kasson the first score.

Austin answered to tie with

a run in the fifth. Brian Parlin led off with a walk and scored on a double by Todd Walerak.

Kasson benefitted from Austin errors in re-taking the lead. Kunze's throw to second on a stolen base attempt in the fifth took a bad hop over Parlin's head, and the runner raced all the way around to score the go-ahead run.

The Merchants fired back in the fifth with Kunze's leadoff double to start the rally. Clint Ripley followed with a bloop single to right, and Brandon Schuck scored Kunze with a sacrifice fly to deep left.

"We had hits, and we had a couple timely hits, we just didn't have a breakout inning," Hansen said.

The game -- which started at 6 p.m. -- was shortened to seven innings because Kasson's high school field does not have lights, preventing Austin a chance to come back over the final two innings. There may have been enough light for two more innings, but Hansen thought the move made sense.

"We didn't want it to get to the point where we were playing in the dark," he said.

The Merchants (7-10, 7-9) have a chance to get back to .500 with two games this week -- both of which are at home. Austin hosts Pine Island tonight at 7:30 p.m., and the Merchants meet up with local rival Hayfield/Austin Athletics (9-17, 8-10) Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

"We've got to even it up, playing for a little hometown pride," Hansen said. "It's fun, but you still want to beat those guys."

The A's won an 11-1, eight-inning affair in their first meeting less than two weeks ago. Both teams are fighting for higher seeding for the Twin Rivers League playoffs, which for the Cannon Division begin Wednesday, July 17. The top two seeds of the six-team division get byes, while the other four teams square off for the rights to advance.

Linescore:

Austin0000110--264

Kasson0010101--342

A's split a pair

The Hayfield/Austin A's split their most recent outings, losing 12-7 at Dodge Center Sunday night while winning 13-2 in a make-up game at Plainview Monday.

Jamie Beck and Adam Linbo each had three hits as the A's pounded Plainview with 15 hits. Jon Severson tossed seven innings and Matt Juncker closed the door with the final two frames. Severson walked six, struck out five, and allowed only two hits. Plainview's two runs came courtesy an H/A error in the seventh.

"Offensive production wasn't a problem," said A's player/coach Troy Holtz. "And Plainview had just played a doubleheader with Pine Island on Sunday, so they were pretty thin on pitching. Jon threw well, he was in control pretty much the whole game."

Juncker allowed only two hits in his inning of work.

The Plainview pounding came one night after Dodge Center's Owen Hoegh struck out 15 A's batters in a 12-7 Dodger victory. Host Dodge Center scored five times in the bottom of the eighth to break a 7-all tie.

Luke Fischer suffered the loss despite striking out 14 for the second time this season. He allowed six hits, five walks and 10 earned runs.

Hayfield/Austin outhit the Dodgers 7-6, but Hoegh's fastball was too much for some A's hitters.

Holtz had three hits and three RBIs for the A's, while Juncker added two hits. Eric Schmeling's only hit provided two runs driven in.

"Fisch threw pretty good, he just lost his composure in the eighth," Holtz said. "Top-to-bottom, Dodge Center is pretty solid, and Hoegh just throws BB's. That's why so many of our guys struggled tonight."

The A's still have a fighting chance at third place in the Cannon Division's final standings, but Holtz suggests his team will need to beat the Merchants and the Rochester Roadrunners to ensure their spot in the top half.

"It looks like we are trying to get into the third spot," Holtz said. "We don't want to be the fourth playing the Merchants. Kasson is the only good draw."

Linescores:

Hayf/Aus320300302--13151

Plainview000000200--231

Hayf/Aus023200000--774

Dodge Center30040050x--1261

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