The Montgomery Mallards were supposed to be the eighth-seeded team of the Region 4C amateur baseball bracket, but the Hayfield/Austin Athletics played like they were.

The better-than-advertised Mallards -- emerging as runners-up from the Dakota Rice Scott League's White Division -- tallied 12 hits and toppled the Twin Rivers League Zumbro Division's top-seeded A's 10-6 in the opening round of postseason play Wednesday night at Marcusen Park.

Montgomery (15-5) finished second in the DRS White to Lonsdale (16-5), who defeated Zumbro runner-up Dodge Center 4-1 Tuesday night. Hayfield/Austin moves into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination region tournament and will play Friday against the loser between Belle Plaine and Hampton at 8 p.m at a site yet to be determined.

"They hit the ball and we didn't pick it up," A's player/coach Troy Holtz said of Montgomery. "They're a solid ballclub. Early in the game we had a chance to do something, we had some runners on, but we just didn't him them in."

The Athletics (14-20) stranded 13 runners on base, committed four errors, threw five wild pitches and had four passes balls in the opening-round loss.

"We missed all our chances early," Holtz added. "We put a lineup together that was aimed or geared towards offensive production … but their offense was pretty darn good and their defense was OK."

Hanging curveball

Montgomery took a 6-0 lead after a five-run fourth inning, and two hits in the fifth chased A's starting pitcher Jon Severson from the mound. Severson struggled to control his curveball, which hung out over home plate for the Mallards to take their rips.

"The deuce wasn't working, and I couldn't get ahead of hitters," Severson said. "The whole game they seemed like they were almost more used to winning. They were more enthused, they had more energy."

Severson had not pitched since July 21, when the A's clinched a spot in the region with a 12-6 win over the Rochester Blues. He was relieved in the fifth by Blues draftee Tim Welke, who went the final 4 1/3 innings.

Draft impact

Stewartville-Racine draftee catcher Chuck Krom was one of few bright spots for the A's offense. Krom, who led the TRL with 12 home runs, hit a solo blast to lead off the fourth inning for H/A's first run. He added a single, a double, and was hit by a pitch leading off the seventh.

Draftees must play either pitcher or catcher, but Krom's four passed balls were a fair trade for the offense he provided for the slow-starting Athletics

Krom had three of the team's eight hits, and his one-out double in the ninth sparked the A's three-run rally.

Adam Linbo added two hits, including a double, and a stolen base in the sixth that allowed Al Dahlen to score from third. Dahlen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth to drive in Krom as the first of three A's runs. Nick Bowe followed with a two-run single to right.

Making it easy

Three Mallard runs scored on wild pitches, and three more were credited to A's fielding errors.

Phil Worm worked his way out of numerous jams in getting the victory for Montgomery, and Robert Weaver struck out five in closing out the final 2 2/3 innings. Hayfield/Austin stranded 11 of their 13 runners on base during Worm's 6 1/3 innings.

"We've got some work to do," Holtz said. "We need to win four games to make it (to state)."

Hayfield/Austin had won four of their last five, and six of eight, to end the regular season.

The A's will host Friday night at Marcusen if Belle Plaine loses, but the more likely scenario has Hayfield/Austin traveling to Hampton Friday night. Belle Plaine is a defending Class C State Tournament qualifier.

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