A shorthanded Austin Greyhound squad rebounded from Tuesday's bitter loss thanks to a much needed gem from hurler Clint Ripley Wednesday night. Ripley fired a complete game three-hitter, striking out 14 along the way, to down the Albert Lea Colonels 3-1 at Marcusen Park.

"We kind of had the wind taken out of our sails after the last game," said Austin manager John Frein, "but we were able to regroup. They weren't going to hit (Ripley) tonight."

"I was feeling good tonight," Ripley said. "I didn't have the best control, but I was at least consistently wild, which probably kept them off-balance."

While he did walk five batters and hit another, Ripley yielded just three hits and no earned runs over his nine innings of work.

In addition to leaving four runners in scoring position, Austin also had a runner thrown out trying to score on a passed ball in both the seventh and eighth innings. But the Greyhounds did get three key extra-base hits off of Colonels starter Isaac Walton to score their three runs.

Walton was one of the Greyhounds' postseason draftees last year after advancing through the regional tournament and eventually the Class B State Tournament championship.

Austin's first run came in the opening inning, as Craig Selk picked up the first of two RBIs on the night with a two-out double over the center fielder to score Tate Cummins.

The 'Hounds would tally their other two scores in the sixth. Cummins led off with a triple to deep center and was brought home on a sacrifice fly from Selk. After a two-out walk to Jamie Morrison, Ripley lined a double to right to give himself a 3-0 cushion.

Meanwhile, the Colonels got to at least second base in five of the first six innings, but couldn't capitalize. They finally got on the board in the seventh without a hit, thanks to a couple of Austin errors. But Ripley notched a key strikeout to leave two runners on base.

He would strand two more baserunners in the ninth to preserve the 'Hounds victory.

Austin was led offensively by Cummins, who went 2-for-4 with the triple and two runs scored, and Selk, who doubled and drove in two in three at-bats.

Justin Kohn was 2-for-4 with a double and Brad Carlson 1-for-3 with an RBI to pace Albert Lea. Walton threw six innings in a losing cause, giving up all three runs on five hits and striking out seven.

Austin is now 5-4 and 2-0 in Southern Minny League play, while the Colonels drop to 1-2.

The 'Hounds travel north this Friday to take on Wesley Homes in the St. Cloud Tournament. Game time is 6 p.m.

Linescore:

Albert Lea000000100--132

Austin10000200x--372

Walton, Schultz (7) and Wacholz; Ripley and Rohne. WP--Ripley (1-1). LP--Walton. 2B--AL: Kohn; AUS: Selk, Ripley. 3B--AUS: Cummins.