Playing its fifth game in six days, the Austin High baseball team was in need of some relief, and sophomore Jamie Surdy provided it.

Surdy got the start as the Packer pitcher in his first varsity game, throwing seven strong innings in a 10-6 AHS victory over visiting Faribault Tuesday at Marcusen Park. The win was the fifth straight for the Packers -- all in Big Nine Conference play -- and second in as many days against Faribault. AHS won 7-2 Monday night in Faribault.

Austin (7-4, 7-3) gave Surdy six runs worth of support in the bottom of the first inning and eased the sophomore into his new role.

"I wasn't really sure what to expect," Surdy said. "After I got out of the first inning that really got my confidence going. It definitely felt good to come in and help the team out."

Surdy struck out four, walked none and threw strikes, which for AHS coach Troy Watkins was good enough.

"He pitched a great game," Watkins said. "He did what we asked him to do and he got stronger as the game went on.

"We wanted him to feel confident with the defense behind him."

It helped Surdy having the Packer bats and the defense to do the dirty work. Austin batted through the order in the first inning, highlighted by a run-scoring single from Adam Edge and a two-run double from Sean Selmecki. Two Faribault errors contributed to the rally.

"We wanted to get runs early," said AHS senior Kyle Rizzi. "It seems like if we get out early, we win."

Austin chased two Faribault pitchers from the hill before the second inning had ended. Starter Evan Lund did not last through the first, and reliever Kyle Pemrick was hit on his left foot by a line drive off Rizzi's bat in the second. Jason Deike went the final 4 2/3 innings for the Falcons (1-8, 0-8), who remained winless in the Big Nine.

Three Austin errors only resulted in two unearned runs, both of which came in Faribault's last-gasp three-run seventh.

Nate Johnson, Joe Kroc and Jordan VanProosdy all had two of Austin's 12 hits. Every Packer to go to the plate had at least one hit, including John Bastyr's solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth. It was Bastyr's first homer of the season.

"We've got a good attitude, we're making good plays and we're hitting the ball," Rizzi said. "That's what it takes to win and we're doing it right now."

Austin hosts Rochester Mayo Thursday at Marcusen at 5 p.m.

Box Score:

FaribaultAustin

abrhbiabrhbi

Rost ss4111Johnson cf4220

Truman 2b4120Swank 3b3110

McCrmck 1b2001Kroc ss3121

Schema 1b1000Rizzi 2b3011

Srock 3b3000Edge c3011

Mahoney 3b1000Lyon dh4110

Cross c4021

Surdy p0000

Kline cr0000Selmecki lf3112

Deike p4020Bastyr 1b3211

Graves rf3112VanPrsdy rf3020

Pemrick p1000

Ramirez rf0200

Smith cf2210

Knapp lf3120

Totals326115Totals2910126

Faribault0200103--6112

Austin621010x--10123

Team LOB--Faribault 6, Austin 5. 2B--Rost, Selmecki, Kroc, VanProosdy. HR--Graves, Bastyr (1). S--Kroc. SF--McCormick, Rizzi. CS--VanProosdy.

IPHRERBBSO

Faribault

Lund L2/356400

Pemrick2/321101

Deike4 2/353311

Austin

Surdy W,1-07116404

WP--Deike. PB--Cross. HBP--Edge (by Deike). Balk--Surdy.