After losing a 1-0 decision to Kyle Rizzi and the Austin Packers at sections this spring on a wild pitch, Waseca pitcher John Kaminski got a bit of revenge Monday night against Rizzi and the second-seeded Austin Legion baseball team.

While Kaminski lost a no-hitter with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, he settled for a 4-0 one-hitter of Post 91 -- complete with 18 strikeouts -- in the first round of First District playoffs at Marcusen Park.

"He's a very good pitcher, hats off to him," said Austin head coach Bob Stratton. "He was in control the whole game."

"He threw a great game," said Waseca head coach Tink Larson. "There weren't a lot of hard-hit balls off him."

Kaminski did walk five and throw a couple of wild pitches, which allowed Austin (17-14) to get a runner to second with one out in three different innings. But the Waseca lefty slammed the door each time.

Austin's Joe Kroc drew three of those walks, two of which were of the leadoff variety. He also stole second in the third inning to put himself in scoring position. The only other bit of offense for Post 91 would come from Nate Johnson when he broke up the no-hitter with an infield single with two outs in the ninth.

Kaminski would get all the hitting he needed from Adam Severin, who ripped two homers and a double off Post 91 starter Rizzi.

"He's a tough hitter, or at least he was against us," Rizzi said.

"He's really come on for us the second half of the season," Larson said of his right fielder.

Rizzi had already defeated Waseca teams twice this year, throwing a one-hitter of his own in the 1-0 section victory and topping Post 228 5-4 last Monday.

Waseca got to Rizzi right away this time though. With one out in the top of the first, Severin took a fastball over the 344 feet sign in right to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Rizzi would settle in after that, holding Waseca without another hit until a leadoff single by Dan Gulbrandson in the fifth. Left fielder Adam Edge bailed his pitcher out of trouble by nailing Gulbrandson at home as he tried to score from second on Andy Nelson's base hit.

No amount of defense could keep Waseca from making it 2-0 in the sixth, as Severin smacked his second homer of the game to right, but just barely.

"It went off the top of the pole at the top of the fence," said Austin right fielder Nick Ehret.

When Rizzi tried to work him away in the seventh, Severin lined it the other way for an RBI-double. Rizzi would later give way to Nels Nelson, who threw two shutout innings in relief.

With Kaminski holding a commanding 4-0 lead after eight innings, the only real suspense was whether he would be able to finish off the no-hitter. After the first two batters were retired, Johnson beat out a grounder that shortstop Nelson didn't unload soon enough to catch Austin's speedy center fielder.

"I didn't get a great look at it," Larson said. "All I'll say is that if he was safe, it was because the throw pulled him off the bag."

"Nate thought he was safe, (first base coach) Rog (Roger Stratton) thought he was safe, it looked like he was in there," Rizzi said.

It was elementary anyway as Kaminski capped off his gem with, not surprisingly, a strikeout -- his eighteenth of the game.

Austin now faces an elimination game Thursday at 1 p.m. at Dartts Park in Owatonna. Their opponent will be the loser of the matchup between two Rochester teams, the Redhawks and the Patriots.

The seventh-seeded Waseca squad, now 13-11 on the season, advances to play the winner of the same game at 4 p.m.

Box Score:

WASECA 4, AUSTIN 0

WasecaAustin

abrhbiabrhbi

Nelson ss5010Kroc ss1000

Severin rf4233Rizzi 2b4000

LaRue 3b4000Nelson p4000

JKaminski p4110Bastyr 1b3000

SKaminski c3010Johnson cf4010

Miller lf3011Edge rf3000

Robb cf0000Swank c3000

Glbrndsn 2b3010Kaiser 3b3000

Glynn 2b1000Ehret rf2000

Hanson lf4110

Selmecki lf1000

Jewison 1b2000

Totals33494Totals28010

Waseca100002100--490

Austin000000000--012

Team LOB--Waseca 7, Austin 6. 2B--Severin, J.Kaminski. HR--Severin 2. S--Jewison. SB--Hanson, Kroc. CS--Miller.

IPHRERBBSO

Waseca

J.Kaminski, W9100518

Austin

Rizzi, L,4-2784426

Nelson210011

WP--J.Kaminski 2.