Dahlen, A#039;s love Hey Days

Published 12:00 am Saturday, July 19, 2003

HAYFIELD -- There's just something special about Hey Days.

At least Hayfield native Al Dahlen thinks so, especially after helping the Class C Hayfield/Austin Athletics amateur baseball team lock down first place in the Twin Rivers League's White Division with a 10-2 victory over Pine Island Saturday at Hayfield High School.

Dahlen went 4-for-4 with a two-run double in the first inning and a two-run homer in the fourth that clinched the top seed for the A's in next week's postseason playoffs. The Athletics tied the Rochester Blues at 13-4 atop the division standings, but Hayfield/Austin won the tiebreaker on run differential.

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"It's just good fun," Dahlen said. "It's nice to play at the hometown field again in front of a good crowd, and it brings back high school memories."

Dahlen's double in the first drove in Nick Bowe and courtesy runner Todd Walerak as what would eventually be the game-winning runs. Hayfield/Austin scored five runs in the home half of the first to decimate a dismal Pine Island crew.

Calling on Dahlen

Already leading 5-0, the A's got two more in the fourth on Dahlen's first homer of the season. A solo run in the fifth and two more in the eighth helped eliminate what little hope of a comeback Pine Island had.

Dahlen finished with three runs scored and four RBIs, while classmate Eric Schmeling was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Neil Noterman also went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Chris Pack picked up the victory for five shutout innings, allowing five hits, two walks, two hit batsmen against six strikeouts. The Pioneers stranded eight runners on base against Pack and 16 in the game. Matt Juncker and Mike Haugen each threw two innings of relief, surrendering one run apiece.

Ryan Boser was one of few bright spots for Pine Island, which did accumulate 10 singles against three Hayfield pitchers. Boser was 4-for-5 but accounted for only one run. Left-hander Jeremy Strand allowed 10 hits and seven runs in four innings for the Pioneer pitching staff.

Looking ahead

The A's, now 17-17 overall, begin tournament play Tuesday night at Stewartville against last-placed Kasson. Host Stewartville-Racine, who beat the A's three times this season, gets the No. 3 seed and will face the No. 2 Blues. The top two teams from the double-elimination bracket advance to the Region 6C playoffs, a six-team tournament from which the top two advance to state.

"Top seed has a big advantage," said A's manager Joe Serratore. "I didn't expect it until we upset Dodge Center the other night."

The Athletics lost four straight games entering last Wednesday's game against Byron. With a 7-6 win, the A's started a three-game TRL win streak that secured the top spot in the playoffs.

Box Score:

ATHLETICS 10, PIONEERS 2

Pine IslandHayfield/Austin

abrhbiabrhbi

Boser cf5041MJohnson cf4110

Barnett 1b2000Bowe 3b4100

Marquardt p1000

Walerak 3b1200

Ganz rf4000Noterman c4021

Regnier 3b2021Dahlen 1b4344

JJohnson cf5000Schmeling lf4220

Holmes dh4120Juncker rf5010

Strand p0100Beck dh3110

Bauer lf5010

Pack p2000

Matzek 2b5000Haugen ss3000

Fangman c5010Ciola 2b2001

Totals382102Totals3610116

Pine Island000001010--2104

Hayf/Austin50021002x--10113

Team LOB--PI 16, H/A 9. DP--PI 1, H/A 1. 2B--Dahlen, Beck. HR--Dahlen (1). CS--Boser, Beck.

IPHRERBBSO

Pine Island

Strand L4107633

Marquardt201131

Fangman100010

Boser112011

Hayfield/Austin

Pack W550026

Juncker241114

Haugen211014

WP--Strand 2, Marquardt 2, Boser, Juncker. PB--Noterman. HBP--Ganz (by Pack), Regnier 2 (by Pack, by Haugen).