HAM LAKE, MINN. — The Austin 16U softball team put the icing on the cake for what was a successful summer season as it took fourth place at the 18-team Minnesota Metro Softball Association ‘C’ softball tournament in Ham Lake Sunday.

Austin (25-15-1 overall) played five games over two days with just nine players and it looked to be headed even further in the tournament when Alexandria scored three runs in the seventh inning to end Austin’s season on a 5-4 loss.

Austin had a chance to stall Alexandria’s late rally when shortstop Shaley Vesel went to throw home for a force out with the bases loaded but a runner bumped into her and Alexandria posted a run on the play to keep its momentum going.

“You don’t want to put it on the umpire, but that was tough,” Austin head coach Lisa Quednow-Bickler said.

Austin wasn’t about to feel sorry for itself as it had a solid run with a 5-3 win over Cambridge, a 2-0 win over Rocori and a 12-3 win over Mora after it lost a 3-2 game to Woodbury.

Austin opened the tournament with a forfeit win over the Silver Bullets.

“Our girls had a great season from beginning to end,” Quednow-Bickler said. “There’s really exciting things to come for these girls and I can’t wait to watch them over the next few years. They put it all out there and gave it everything they had.”

Abbey Ball pitched four games in two days for Austin as she struck out 25 and allowed just 18 hits in that span. Sydney Murphy, who knocked in seven runs on the weekend, was behind the plate in all five games.

“Abbey worked hard and Sydney threw out a couple of runners in key spots in the win over Rocori. She played every game, even with a sore arm,” Quednow-Bickler said.

Austin finished the weekend with just seven errors as its defense played solid.

Woodbury 3, Austin 2

Austin pitching: Abbey Ball (L), 7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 R, 4 K

Austin hitting: Ball, 2-for-3, double, RBI; Abby Bickler, R; Laura Siegfried, R

Austin 12, Mora 3

Austin pitching: McKenna Gleisner (W), 7 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 R, 1 K

Austin hitting: Abby Bickler, 4-for-4, double, 4 RBIs; Sydney Murphy, 3-for-3, 3 RBIs; Erin Dankert, 2-for-3, double, 2 RBIs

Austin 2, Rocori, 0

Austin pitching: Ball (W), 7 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 R, 7 K

Austin hitting: Ball, 2-for-3, double, RBI; Haley Kiefer, 2-for-3; Bickler, 2-for-3, RBI, R

Austin 5, Cambridge 3

Austin pitching: Ball (W), 7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 R, 7 K

Austin hitting: Murphy, 1-for-3, RBI; Ball, 2-for-4, double; Shaley Vesel, 2-for-3, RBI; Gleisner, 2-for-4, 2 RBIs

Alexandria 5, Austin 4

Austin pitching: Ball (L), 7 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 5 R, 7 K

Austin hitting: Murphy, 3-for-3, 3 RBIs; Bickler, 1-for-4, RBI