Post 91 has made a habit out of spoiling Owatonna's fun, and Tuesday night's baseball game was no different.

Austin rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and eventually scored the game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk in the 11th to upend Owatonna 8-7 in First District play at Marcusen Park.

Post 91 has come from behind to win its last three meetings with Owatonna, including a five-run final inning in last year's First District playoffs. Austin (7-8, 4-3) moved above .500 in district play for the first time this season.

"We just can't lose to them," said Nels Nelson, who pitched 5 2/3 innings of relief of starter Kyle Rizzi to get the win. "I was having my doubts, I thought it would be too much to overcome, but we keep coming back with those last-inning rallies."

The bottom half of Austin's batting order accounted for nine hits, seven runs driven in, six runs scored and four doubles. Sean Selmecki, batting ninth, was 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs.

"Coming out of school ball I wasn't hitting that good, so hopefully I can keep it up now," Selmecki said.

Post 91 took a temporary 4-2 lead with three runs in the fourth and another in the fifth, but Rizzi's control wavered and Owatonna capitalized with three runs to regain the 5-4 lead. Jesse Seykora made it 7-4 with a two-run home run off Nelson in the top of the seventh, but Austin had Owatonna's number again.

The bottom half of Austin's batting order came up big -- again -- to send the game into extra innings. John Bastyr led off with a double, Nate Johnson walked one out later, and Joe Kroc drove in a run with a single down the left-field line.

Andy Swank's flyout to right field was not deep enough to advance the baserunners, but Owatonna starter Nate Skala uncorked his first wild pitch to do the job for him. Selmecki delivered his second two-run hit -- a single to left that plated Johnson and Kroc. A bang-bang play at the plate brought some discussion but Kroc had clearly touched home through catcher Billy Marka's legs to beat the throw.

After Owatonna threatened with two runners on in the 11th, Austin ended it. Reliever Joe Herzog walked leadoff batter Brad Wiechmann, and Johnson followed with his third hit of the game. A balk advanced both runners, and Owatonna intentionally walked Kroc to load the bases and create the opportunity for a force-out at home. The strategy backfired as Swank took Herzog's third walk of the inning for the game-winning RBI.

Nelson (2-4) struck out nine in his lengthy relief stint after Rizzi battled shoulder stiffness and control problems in the sixth.

"You can't say enough about Nels Nelson," Austin coach Bob Stratton said. "He gave up a shot, but he kept us right in it."

Post 91 missed its chance to win in the eighth with a first-and-third, one-out situation. On the first pitch, Wiechmann squared around for the suicide squeeze bunt but popped it up toward third base, which Seykora caught heading back to the bag for the tag on a diving Rizzi.

Austin's offense overcame the setback with 16 total hits -- including five doubles. Nate Johnson had two of them in a 3-for-5 breakout game, scoring three runs along the way.

"We didn't get a lot of timely loss," Stratton said. "We were setting ourselves up for a loss missing sacrifices like that."

Austin was 1-for-3 on sacrifice bunt attempts and eventually stranded 15 runners on base, including six in scoring position before the 11th inning.

Rizzi led Austin with four singles in six plate appearances, while Selmeck and Johnson had three hits apiece. Adam Edge's only hit was a two-out single that scored Selmecki as the then-go-ahead run in the bottom of the fourth.

Marcusen Park will host the eighth annual Post 91 Classic Baseball Tournament Friday and Saturday in Austin. Only four teams will be in attendance at this year's event, which will be round-robin format with the top two teams advancing to Saturday night's championship game.

Austin opens the tournament Friday at noon against Mankato, with Rosemount versus Faribault to follow at 2:45 p.m. Post 91's other games will be Friday at 2:15 p.m. against Rosemount and Saturday at 3:45 p.m. with Faribault. The championship game will be Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Box Score:

AUSTIN 8, OWATONNA 7 (11 inn.)

OWATONNAAUSTIN

abrhbiabrhbi

Skala 3b5110Edge rf6011

VonRuden cf4100Rizzi p-2b6040

Seykora ss4342Nelson 2b-p6000

Herzog p5110Bastyr 1b5120

Wilson 2b4110Wchmnn 3b5100

Marka c4000Johnson cf5330

Barlow 1b4000Kroc ss3122

Schottler lf5022Swank c4111

Huffington rf4000Selmecki lf5134

Totals39796Totals458168

Owatonna20000320000--793

Austin00031030001--8162

No outs when winning run scored.

Team LOB--Owatonna 7, Austin 15. DP--Owatonna 1, Austin 1. 2B--O: Seykora, Schottler, A: Johnson 2, Selmecki, Bastyr, Swank. HR--O: Seykora. S--O: Huffington, A: Kroc. SB--O: Skala 2, Seykora, A: Rizzi. CS--O: Wilson, A: Johnson.

IPHRERBBSO

Owatonna

Skala9147743

Herzog L121130

Austin

Rizzi5 1/365532

Nelson5 2/332239

WP--Skala, Rizzi. Balk--Herzog. HBP--Barlow (by Nelson). IBB--Skala (by Nelson), Kroc (by Herzog).