The Austin Greyhounds found host Eau Claire to be a worthy measuring stick, but still not up to the standards of the sixth-rated team in Minnesota's latest Class B rankings.

The Greyhounds, behind the savvy pitching of Scott Meyer and one big inning of offense, topped the Cavaliers 6-3 Tuesday night at Carson Park in Eau Claire.

"They're a good team, this was a good game for us to win," said Austin manager John Frein. "Our last two games were huge for us to win strictly because we were coming off that three-game losing streak."

Austin ripped its rival Rochester Royals 9-5 last Wednesday night after a rare three-game skid suffered at the South St. Paul Stockmen's Tournament. Meyer moved his season record to 8-2 with the complete-game victory, striking out eight and walking while scattering 11 hits.

"Scottie played with a lot of heart tonight, like usual," said Greyhounds player/manager John Frein. "He wanted it."

The Cavaliers scored twice in the bottom of the eight to bring the game to its final 6-3 score, much too late after Austin had erupted for five tallies in the top of the seventh.

"It's nice to get the run support like that," Meyer said. "I'm usually not going to give up more than two or three runs, so it was nice to get all those runs in that inning."

Austin (27-9) scored five times in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie and take the non-league contest over the host Cavaliers (27-11).

Meyer pitched collegiately for Wisconsin-Stout, which is just minutes west of Eau Claire in Menomonie. The familiar surroundings, plus a packed house at Carson Park, only helped the cagey hurler.

"It's always fun to play there, they get a lot of fans," Meyer said. "We try to play the Cavaliers every year because they're a good team and we like to use them as a standard to see where we measure up."

Nick Rohne's bases-loaded double drove in the first two of five Greyhounds runs in the seventh. Clint Ripley led off the inning with a walk and Meyer sacrificed him to second, and Frein reached with an infield single. Grant Lunning singled to load the bases, and Rohne nearly emptied them with a line-drive off the left-field fence.

"We just strung a bunch of hits together and got it done," Frein said. "Their pitcher had been getting the better of us until that inning."

Tony Garner lasted into the seventh, but he managed to get only one out against the first seven batters of the inning. After Rohne's double, Tate Cummins drove in Lunning with a single, and Rohne scored when Cummins got in a rundown. Tim Kaplan followed with an RBI-double.

Cummins, Kaplan, Frein and Matt Raso each led the way with a pair of hits, with Jamie Morrison adding an RBI-single to score Cummins for the Greyhounds' solo run in the fourth. Austin matched the Cavaliers with 11 hits apiece.

Austin is scheduled to play at Albert Lea tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Southern Minny League play. The Greyhounds' Saturday game against in-town Class C squad, the Hayfield/Austin Athletics, has been canceled to this point. The Greyhounds instead will play at Jordan against state-rival Cold Spring.

Linescore:

Austin000100500--6102

Eau Claire000010020--3111

Scott Meyer and Matt Raso; Tony Garner, Andy Neise (7) and Neise, Rob Long (7). WP--Meyer (8-2). LP--Garner. 2B--A: Rohne, Kaplan.