It doesn't seem to matter to the Austin softball team who it plays or what the score is anymore. The Packers simply win.

Top-seeded Austin (21-2) outlasted No. 2 Farmington (20-3) in the Section 1AAA winner's bracket finals, 1-0, Tuesday night at Todd Park. The eighth-ranked Packers scored the game's only run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Amy Kelly, plating an instinctive Kylene Erstad from third base.

"In the end Kylene's choice was the right one," said Austin coach Todd Waterbury. "She just reacted."

Erstad, who is 5-for-7 lifetime against Farmington, led off the sixth with a double down the left-field line on a 3-2 changeup. Betsy Hingeveld sacrificed Erstad to third with a bunt and Kelly followed with a hard-hit chopper back at Farmington hurler Erin Leone.

The ball bounced off Leone's glove toward home plate as Erstad scampered up the line, and Leone's throw was late and in the dirt as Erstad slid safely in for the eventual game-winning run.

"I can't believe I hit it actually," Erstad said. "I haven't been hitting the changeup lately, but I knew I had to get a hit because we wanted to win so bad."

Kelly took second on the throw and third on a passed ball, but Leone retired the final two hitters to keep it a one run game.

Now with a lead, Kelly calmly threw three ground balls and her infielders did the rest.

"Amy put in her best performance of the section tournament," Waterbury said. "And that's twice now she's put the ball in play in crucial moments. You've got to get a break once in a while too, and we were fortunate to get it. But I also think you make your own breaks too."

Kelly allowed just three hits and no walks against three strikeouts, but more importantly kept the ball down in the zone. The only fly-ball out Farmington had was a lineout back to Kelly by the game's leadoff hitter Michele Swedin. The Packer infield converted 16 of 18 opportunities and two errors proved inconsequential as both runners were eventually stranded.

"A lot of people were saying that Farmington had some big hitters so I was really just concentrating on keeping my pitches low," Kelly said.

Swedin and Casey Preston were the only returning players that had hits last year in sections against Kelly, and Preston kept the streak alive with her chopper up the middle to lead off the third. She would be the only Tiger baserunner to reach third, where she was eventually stranded.

"We knew they're good competition so we were ready for them," Erstad said. "We just find a way every single time. Everyone steps up."

Both teams had just three hits, with Erstad's double being the only extra-base hit. She also singled to start the bottom of the first but was stranded at second. Meggan Rider singled with one out in the fifth but was later picked off third with two outs and Erstad at the plate.

The Packers await the winner of Thursday night's game between Lakeville and Farmington. Lakeville, who lost to Austin at the Elks Softball Invite earlier this regular season, topped Hastings 4-1 Tuesday night to earn a shot at Farmington. That game will be at 6 p.m. at Todd Park.

"We're just ready for anyone that comes up through the brackets," Erstad said. "It doesn't matter who we play just as long as we play the game."

The section finals are Friday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. if necessary. Last year the Packers dispatched Lakeville 3-0 in the only finals game needed.

Notes: Rosemount seniors Jamie Schaefer and Lyssa Caradori were knocked out from playing for the remainder of the season after colliding in the outfield in Friday night's 2-1, eight-inning loss to Austin. Schaefer suffered a concussion, a broken nose and possibly a broken orbital bone. Caradori tore ligaments in a knee but severe swelling has prevented further diagnosis to this point. Rosemount was eliminated Tuesday night by Hastings, 2-0 in 11 innings.

Austin box score:

Farmington 0Austin 1

abrhbiabrhbi

Swedin c3000Erstad 3b3120

Bell 3b3000Hingeveld lf2000

O'Leary 2b3010Kelly p3001

Leone dh/p3000

Brady cr0000

Mainz p0000Feller c2000

Schuetzle rf3010Eslinger ss3000

Wokson ss3000Goettsch dh2000

Preston 1b2010

Rohne 2b0000

Anderson lf1000Turvey 1b2000

Johnson cf2000Rider rf2010

Sundberg cf0000

Totals23030Totals19131

Farmington0000000--032

Austin000001x--132

Team LOB--Farmington 3, Austin 4. DP--Austin 1. 2B--Erstad. S--Anderson, Feller, Sundberg, Hingeveld.

IPHRERBBSO

Farmington

Leone L631115

Austin

Kelly W,19-2730003

WP--Leone 2. PB--Swedin. Picked off--Rider (3rd base, by Swedin).