Austin's Tyler Leopold slides under the tag of Fairmont's catcher to score a run during the Hounds' 8-7, 11-inning win at Marcusen Park Friday. -- Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Steve Serratore picked a really great time to hit his first homerun in Marcusen Park.

The Greyhounds were knotted in a 7-7 tie with the Fairmont Martins and it was almost midnight in the 11th inning when Serratore connected on a 2-0 fast ball and put it over the right field fence to give the Hounds an 8-7 win Friday night.

“He started me with two fast balls, and he threw pretty hard but it was straight,” said Serratore, who also doubled in a run in the win. “I felt like I could get one if I liked it. I got good wood on the ball and it kept going.”

Hounds' second baseman John Frein chases Fairmon'ts Jon Ellis during a rundown at Marcusen Park Friday. -- Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Serratore’s bomb saved what would’ve been a collapse by the Hounds (10-11 overall). Austin led 7-2 going into the top of the seventh, but the Martins kept chipping away and they finally tied the game in the top of the ninth with a couple of unearned runs.

Fairmont had a chance to take the lead in the ninth with runners on second and third but Matt Raso got a key strikeout. The Martins also had the bases loaded with two outs in the 10th and Raso came through with another strikeout.

For Serratore, a player who grew up dreaming of playing amateur baseball in Marcusen, the walk-off homerun is about as good as it gets.

“That was unreal. I’ve never hit a homerun here before,” he said. “We really needed a ‘W’ tonight and it couldn’t have been capped off better for me. There was a lot of intensity tonight and this was a big game for us.”

Zach Schara knocked in a pair or runs in the win for the Hounds.

Fairmont 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 0 — 7 14 2

Austin 0 3 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 — 8 9 3

Hounds pitching: Aaron Klatt, 7 IP, 8 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 2 K; Zach Schara, 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 1 K; Matt Raso (W), 3 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 1 HBP

Hounds hitting: Andy Swank, 2-for-3, double, RBI, R, SB, BB; Joe Kroc, 0-for-4, HBP; Steve Serratore, 2-for-5, HR, double, 2 RBIs, 2 R, SB; Raso, 3-for-5, double, 2 R; Matt Cano, 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, R; Tyler Leopold, 0-for-5, R; Schara, 2-for-5, 2 RBIs; Bryan Toov, 0-for-4, BB; John Frein, 0-for-4, RBI