Craig Braaten made his only hit of the day count as he helped the Austin Greyhounds sweep the Minneapolis Rocks during a doubleheader which opened Austin’s season at Marcusen Park Sunday.

Braaten drove in a run with two outs to give the Hounds a 2-1 nightcap win after they took the first contest 6-1.

“It was a long day, but it was a good way to start our season,” Hounds player/manager John Frein said.

The Hounds (2-0 overall) threw five different pitchers and they combined to hold the Rocks to just six hits and two runs over 14 innings.

“The wind knocked down a lot of balls and it was tough to get extra base hits,” Frein said.

The Hounds defense stepped up as it turned a double play with runners on first and second in the sixth inning of the nightcap and the Hounds (2-0 overall) turned two double plays in the opener.

Austin pitcher Zach Schara got off to slow start in the opener as the Rocks scored a run and loaded the bases, but Schara came up with a key strikeout on his 43rd pitch of the frame to escape the jam.

Rocks 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 4 2

Hounds 3 0 0 3 0 0 X — 6 7 3

Hounds pitching: Zach Schara (W), 4 IP, 2 H, 4 BBs, 1 R, 3 K; John Havlerson, 1 IP, 0 R, 1 K; Nels Nelson, 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K

Hounds hitting: Andy Swank, 0-for-1, R, BB; John Kirby, 1-for-2, R; Mitch Mullenbach, 1-for-3, double, 2 R, BB; Matt Cano, 1-for-3, 3 RBIs, R; Matt Raso, 1-for-3, RBI; Tyler Leopold, 2-for-3; Bryan Toov, 0-for-2, BB; Dan Zielke, 0-for-2, RBI, HBP; John Frein, 1-for-3, R

Rocks 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 2 1

Hounds 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 2 6 1

Hounds pitching: Joe Huffman, 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 K; John Kirby (W), 2 IP, 2 BB, 0 R, 1 K

Hounds hitting: Mullenbach, 2-for-4; Joe Kroc, 0-for-3, BB; Craig Braaten, 1-for-2, RBI, R, 2 BBs; Raso, HBP; Leopold, 1-for-3; Steve Hovland, 1-for-3, R; John Frein, 1-for-3, SB