Things started rough for the Austin baseball team, but they turned around quickly as the Packers pulled off a 5-2 win over Faribault at Dick Seltz Field Wednesday.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, Austin pitcher Adam Hemann allowed just five hits and no walks in the last six innings of the game.

“Adam threw a nice game and that’s what were looking for,” Austin head coach Troy Watkins said. “He didn’t walk anybody and on a day like today with the wind blowing behind him that’s what you gotta do.”

The Packers (4-7 overall, 3-6 Big Nine) took the lead for good in the third inning when they drew three straight walks to start the frame. Nate Wagner came up with a sacrifice fly, Hemann had a run-scoring single and another run scored on a balk.

“We saw some good discipline at the plate. We didn’t swing at bad pitches and that’s part of winning baseball is being patient at the plate,” Watkins said. “We didn’t hit particularly well, but we made contact and got hits when it counted.”

The Falcons made their biggest threat in the top of the sixth with Austin up 5-2. Faribault loaded the bases with no one out off of a single and two Packer errors. But Hemann struck out the next hitter and Steven Rizzi and Nick Grage turned a double play to end the inning.

“That double play really helped me out,” Hemann said. “That was good defense.”

Rizzi had made an error earlier in the inning, but he made a nice play on a grounder to turn two.

“(The error) was a tough play for Steven to make, it kind of came up on him,” Watkins said. “Nick (Grage) and Steven are good players and we’re strong up the middle. I’ve got a lot of confidence in those guys.”

The Falcons came up with two infield hits in the first inning that set up their only two runs.

“They just had a lot of short hits,” Hemann said. “It doesn’t seem like they deserve a hit on plays like that, but there’s nothing you can do.”

Hemann, who said he had been struggling with walks in his relief appearances, was in control throughout the game.

“I felt pretty good. My control was good,” he said. “I didn’t have too many pitches in the dirt. In the beginning I was just focusing on placing my fastball, but then I worked on establishing my curve ball.”

Austin scored two insurance runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Wagner and a sacrifice fly by Dylan Monson.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Faribault 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 4

Austin 0 0 3 0 2 0 X 5 5 2

Austin pitching: Adam Hemann (W), 7 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 2 K

Austin hitting: John Kirby, 0-of-3, BB; Steven Rizzi, 0-of-1, 3 BBs; Mark Harber, 1-of-2, BB; Nate Wagner, 1-of-3, 2 RBIs; Adam Hemann, 1-of-3, RBI; Andrew Orcutt, 2-of-2, BB; Nick Grage, 0-of-1; Brady Klingfus, 0-of-3; Nate Justice, 0-of-3; Dylan Monson, 0-of-2, RBI

Faribault pitching: Jensen (L), 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 5 BB, 3 ER; Wegner, 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 ER

Faribault hitting: Larson, 2-of-3; Jensen, 2-of-4; Wegner, 2-of-3; Hallel, 1-of-3, RBI; Evan Knutson, 0-of-2, RBI; Andy Hein, 0-of-3; Ed Gillen, 0-of-3; Stocker, 0-of-2; Derek Driesser, 2-of-3