The Hayfield/Austin Athletics cannot say they didn’t have chances, because they did, and in almost every inning.

But the A’s stranded 13 runners on base — nine in scoring position — in a 6-2 loss to the Rochester Roadrunners in Class C amateur baseball action Tuesday night at Marcusen Park.

The Roadrunner pitching combination of Mike Burman and Dave Laukkenon allowed eight hits and eight walks, but was bailed out by nine Hayfield/Austin strikeouts and a lack of timely A’s hitting. The Athletics (4-10, 4-6) left at least one runner on base in eight of nine innings.

All eight A’s hits were singles, and four of their strikeouts came with runners in scoring position. Hayfield/Austin held a 1-0 lead through four innings before Rochester’s Jeremy Christie connected for a three-run home run off starter Jamie Morrison.

Morrison, an outfielder every other day of the week, went 6 1/3 innings in only his second starting pitching role since his sophomore year of high school. He threw 100 pitches before leaving with a 4-1 deficit and two runners on.

&uot;We’re kind of in need of pitchers,&uot; Morrison said, more disappointed in the team’s offense than his own pitching. &uot;We’ve been pretty good lately at (getting the key hit), but lefty seemed like he got stronger when we got a couple runners on.&uot;

Both Burman and Laukkenon were left-handed pitchers, ending Hayfield/Austin’s three-game winning streak with a Twin Rivers League loss. After walking the first hitter he faced, Laukkenon struck out four in a row and got Al Dahlen to bounce into a fielders’ choice grounder with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth.

The Athletics loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the second, and a single by No. 9 hitter Luke Fischer drove in Jon Severson as the breakthrough run. The odds appeared stacked in Rochester’s favor one out later as Justin Oakland grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Adam Linbo drove in Fischer with H/A’s second run, coming on a one-out single up the middle in the sixth. Linbo was picked off trying to steal and, after a pair of walks, Morrison grounded into a fielders’ choice to keep Rochester’s lead at 3-2.

The top third of the Roadrunner batting order stayed hot against Morrison, who allowed one run before being relieved by Severson in the seventh. Severson surrendered a two-run single to the first hitter he faced and another one-base hit to the next batter, but struck out the next four Roadrunners he faced and did not allow another baserunner.

The first three hitters in Rochester’s lineup accounted for six of the team’s nine hits and five of their six runs. The Roadrunners were also 6-for-6 in stealing second base against the A’s battery of Morrison, Severson and catcher Lee Aadahl. Aadahl threw seven innings in a complete-game victory Sunday against Lake City and had little arm left to spare.

The Athletics will be joined by Austin Greyhounds pitcher Dave Meyer for the opening round of the Cannon Falls Tournament tonight. The A’s take on Rosemount at 7:30 p.m. in Cannon Falls.