Austin-Albert Lea drops first tournament game to Century, will play again Friday
Published 9:07 pm Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Austin-Albert Lea first baseman Zach Huntley places a tag on a Rochester Century runner during AAL’s 5-0 loss to Century in the First District Tournament in Rochester Tuesday. AAL will play an elimination game against Faribault Friday at 1 p.m. in Marcusen Park. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
ROCHESTER — The Austin-Albert Lea Legion baseball team had the pitching, but it didn’t have the hitting as it lost 5-0 to the Rochester A’s in the opening round of the First District Tournament in Rochester Century Tuesday.
AAL, which will now play an elimination game against Faribault at Marcusen Park Friday at 1 p.m., mustered just four hits in the loss as it stranded nine runners on base in the loss.
Austin-Albert Lea’s Ethan Horstmann hits a fly ball at Rochester Century Tuesday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
“It was just one of those nights,” said AAL outfielder Dylan See-Rockers. “We were frustrated up there and it just wasn’t our night. We played good ‘D’ and (Clennon) deserved to win the game. We just weren’t hitting the ball tonight.”
AAL pitcher Steven Clennon gave his team a chance to win as he scattered nine hits, three of which were infield hits, and allowed just three earned runs in eight innings of work.
Clennon pitched out of a jam in the fourth inning where the A’s had runners on second and third with two outs and he escaped a bases loaded jam in the sixth by striking two straight hitters.
“He hasn’t had a lot of chances to pitch, but the last few times he’s thrown, he’s done real well,” AAL co-head coach Bob Stratton said. “Unfortunately he didn’t deserve his fate today. Steven’s a gutsy kid and he pitched well today.”
Clennon retired retired eight of the first nine hitters he faced, but the A’s got on the board in the fourth when they scored a run. Century went up 3-0 in the fifth when a pair of bunt singles helped them plate two runs.
Clennon hasn’t pitched a lot this year, but he was ready to go on Tuesday.
“I felt really good headed into the game. I didn’t have any butterflies and I was really confident,” Clennon said. “It was a lot to do with Gabe (Kasak) behind the plate. He’s a great guy, a great mentor and he knows the game. He knows how to calm you.”
No. 6 seeded AAL (8-14 overal) will have its season on the line when it plays No. 7 seeded Faribault Friday. The winner of that game will play again at 7 p.m. Friday.
“We’re pumped to get back out there and prove ourselves,” See-Rockers said. “We know we’re better than this.”
Austin-Albert Lea’s Marcus Stoulil hits a line drive in Rochester Century Tuesday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
AAL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 4 3
A’s 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 1 X — 5 9 2
AAL pitching: Steven Clennon (L), 8 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 K, 1 HBP
AAL hitting: Ethan Horstmann, 2-for-4, SB, BB; Jonathan Fleek, 1-for-4; Gabe Kasak, 0-for-4; Marcus Stoulil, 1-for-4; Dylan See-Rockers, 0-for-3, SB, BB; Zach Huntley, 0-for-4; Wyatt Paulsen, 0-for-3, BB; Tommy Olmsted, 0-for-3; E.J. Thomas, 0-for-2, SB, BB; Chris Enderson, 0-for-1; Jacob Thompson, BB
