Austin VFW baseball team falls to Albert Lea 12-8 in season opener Wednesday evening

The Austin VFW Post #1216 baseball team took to the road to Albert Lea for their 2022 season opener Wednesday evening, and it was Albert Lea breaking the game open with a six-run bottom of the sixth on their way to a 12-8 win.

Austin led Wednesday night’s game 4-3 at the end of 4 1/2 innings, but Albert Lea took the lead for good with three runs in their half of the fifth inning to move in front 6-4, and the six-run 6th inning broke the game open and gave Albert Lea a 12-4 lead heading into the top of the 7th, where Post #1216 tried to rally with four runs, but the comeback bid fell short to give Post #447 the win.

Offensively for Austin, Landon Meyer helped to lead the way as he belted out four of Austin’s 10 hits in the game in four trips to the plate, with one of the hits being a double, plus he knocked in two runs and scored three more, Sam Olefke went 2 for 3 for Post #1216 with a double, three RBI’s and a run scored, Peyton Ransom went 2 for 4 with a run scored, Isaiah Conway was 1 for 2 for Austin with two runs scored and Isaac Nelson went 1 for 1 with a run scored.  Ransom was tagged with the loss on the mound for Post #1216 as he pitched the first four innings and gave up seven runs, all earned, on 11 hits, striking out eight and walking four, and Isaac Osgood pitched one inning for Austin and gave up five runs, three of them earned on four hits, striking out one and walking one.

Austin returns to action in Sleepy Eye on Saturday, and they will play their home opener versus Byron at Marcusen Park on Sunday.