The Austin U18 softball team put on a hitting clinic as it swept the Triton Venom by scores of 11-1 in five innings and 17-9 in six innings in Todd Park Tuesday.

Austin (14-11 overall, 9-3 Southern Minny) racked up 28 runs and 33 hits in 11 innings of softball. Austin led the first game 2-1 after four innings, when its offense exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Austin broke open the second game when it scored five runs in the top of the fifth to go up 14-7.

All 11 players who batted for Austin had at least one hit in the doubleheader.

“It was a lot of fun to see all of the girls have success,” Austin head coach Lisa Jacobs said. “I was really proud and impressed with Cally Heiny and Jess Piel. They came through with some big hits as well as Abby [Gogolewski], she had an awesome day too.”

Austin’s Jordan Huntley set an exclamation point on the day when she launched a three-run homer to center field to make the second game 17-9 in the sixth inning. Huntley went 3-for-5 with five RBIs on the day.

“[The home run] just kind of happened. I connected right where I wanted to connect,” Huntley said. “I think when we hit the ball and we’re having people up and energetic, we just keep on hitting and keep on rallying.”

Piel went 4-for-7 with three doubles and two RBIs on the day for Austin, Heiny went 4-for-7 with a double and two RBIs and Gogolewski went 5-for-6 with two doubles and five RBIs.

Gogolewski nearly launched a grand slam in the second game, but she ended up a two-run double that bounced off the left field fence.

“I got more confident and I was just more aggressive like coach wants us to be,” Gogolewski said. “I went for it.”

Having a U18 softball team has been beneficial for Austin’s softball program this summer as members of the varsity team have gotten to play together and they’ve gotten a chance to hit against varsity pitching.

“It’s nice to give the girls some confidence and it also gives us an idea on what the girls need to work on,” Jacobs said. “We’re able to work out some kinks that we don’t necessarily have time to do during the spring. It’s good for the girls to bond and get to know each other. I think it’s really beneficial for them.”

Triton 0 0 1 0 0 — 1 3 2

Austin 1 0 1 0 9 — 11 13 3

Austin pitching: Brooke Pazurek (W) 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 9 K, 1 HBP

Austin hitting: Bailee Brooks, 1-for-3, R, SB; Cally Heiny, 3-for-3, double, 2 RBIs, 2 R; Keisha Berg, 0-for-1, R, SB, 2 BBs; Brandi Myers, 1-for-2, R, BB, SB; Jordan Huntley, 1-for-1, 2 RBIs, R, SB, 2 BBs; Pazurek, 1-for-3, RBI, R; Jess Piel, 1-for-3, double, RBI, R; Ally Wood, 0-for-3, R; Justine Reimers, 2-for-3, RBI, R, SB; Abby Gogolewski, 2-for-3, double, 2 RBIs, R; Jaidyn Bastian, 1-for-1, R, BB

Austin 1 3 3 2 5 3 — 17 20 4

Triton 1 3 2 1 2 0 — 9 8 3

Austin pitching: Bastian (W) 6 IP, 8 H, 5 BB, 9 R, 5 ER, 9 K, 1 HBP

Austin hitting: Brooks, 2-for-3, R, SB; Heiny, 1-for-4, 2 R, SB; Berg, 1-for-4, R, SB; Myers, 1-for-3, 2 RBIs, R, BB; Huntley, 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 R; Pazurek, 2-for-4, R; Piel, 3-for-4, 2 doubles, RBI; Wood, 1-for-4, 2 RBIs, R; Reimers, 2-for-3, 3 R; Gogolewski, 3-for-3, double, 3 RBIs, 3 R; Bastian, 2-for-3, 3 RBIs