The Austin Post 1216 VFW baseball team clinched a trip to the state tournament when it beat Albert Lea 5-2 at Marcusen Park Sunday night.

Trailing 4-2 in the sixth, Albert Lea had runners on second and third with just one out but after a pop out for the second out, Austin shorstop Alan May made a big pay on a ground ball, throwing out an AL hitter by a half step to preserve the lead.

May also pitched 14 innings on Saturday to lead No. 1 seeded Austin to a pair of wins on the first day of the District 1 playoffs.

“He was our leader. There’s no doubt. He’s just been on fire,” Post 1216 coach Joe Serratore said.

May started off strong in the first inning Sunday when he blasted a homer to open the game.

“He threw me a few fast balls and a curve ball. I just got my pitch and drove it,” said May.

May wasn’t drained by his heavy pitching duties as he pitched both games of a doubleheader for the past two weeks.

“I’m building my arm strength. I just shoot strikes and let the defense do their work. I’ve got great players behind me and that makes it a lot easier,” he said.

Derek McMasters hit a homer to left field to make it 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth.

Austin (26-6) took a 4-1 lead in the third when Tyler Krekling ripped a two-out, two-run double down the left field line.

Austin is one of 10 teams headed for the state VFW tournament in St. Cloud, which takes place Aug. 6-9. The last time Post 1216 went to state was in 1995, when they took third. Austin won the state title in 1973.

Post 1216 beat Owatonna 6-5 on Saturday by scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh after Owatonna had scored five times in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead.

Austin loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh and Derek McMasters tied the game by getting by a pitch and Jay Ettinger hit a walk-off single to seal the victory.

Austin beat Albert Lea 4-2 on Saturday as Alan May picked up his second win of the day on the mound.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Albert Lea 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 7 0

Austin 1 0 3 0 0 1 X 5 9 1

Austin pitching: Logan Spitzack (W), 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 K, 1 HBP

Austin hitting: Alan May, 2-for-3, HR, double, RBI, 2 R; Steve Serratore, 0-for-3, R; Tyler Krekling, 3-for-3, double, 2 RBIs, SB, R; Spitzack, 1-for-3, RBI; Derek McMasters, 2-for-3, HR, RBI, R; Jay Ettinger, 0-for-3; Quinn Yocom, 1-for-2, BB

Austin 4, Albert Lea 2 (Saturday)

Austin pitching: May (W), 7 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 5 K; HBP

Austin hitting: Serratore, 3-for-3, double, 2 R; Tyler Nelson, 1-for-3, triple, RBI, R

Austin 6, Owatonna 5 (Saturday)

Austin pitching: May (W), 7 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 ER, 4 K, HBP

Austin hitting: May, 2-for-3, triple, 2 R; Serratore, 1-for-2, 2 BBs; McMasters, 2-for-2, R; Ettinger, 1-for-4, RBI