Packers split Saturday
Published 9:44 am Monday, May 25, 2009
The Austin High School baseball team split in two games Saturday in Faribault as part of the Section 1 AAA playoffs.
The Packers beat Mayo 2-1 before falling to Faribault 3-2. Austin plays Mayo again today at 11 a.m.
“Right now, for us, we need to win or go home,” said Troy Watkins, Austin head baseball coach. “We’re down to that part of the season. I think if we play well … we can certainly advance.”
Against Mayo, the Packers scored two runs in the first inning and held on from there.
Steven Rizzi went two for four at the plate with a run; Joel Swatfager went one for three and a run; Mark Harber was one for three with two runs batted in; and Dylan Monson, Rob Wahlert and Jordan Hall each added hits.
Brady Klingfus received the win on the mound for Austin, while Swatfager got the save.
The Packers led 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh with Mayo up, the bases loaded and no out, before retiring the next three on a pop out, a ground out and another pop out to end the game.
“It was an exciting ending,” Watkins said.
In game two, the Packers walked 11 Faribault batters in the contest.
“That was really the difference in the game,” Watkins said.
Swatfager, Harber and Adam Hemann each went two for four for Austin, while Monson went one for three and scored a run.
The Packers took an early 2-0 lead.
“Unfortunately, we kind of gave it to them,” Watkins said.