AUSTIN &045; The high-scoring rivalry that was Austin vs. Albert Lea baseball a year ago turned into a classic pitching matchup, and the Tigers’ Isaac Walton won the duel.

Walton struck out 11 and allowed only one Austin hit over eight innings in a 1-0 Big Nine Conference loss for the host Packers Saturday afternoon at Marcusen Park. Adam Highum’s sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning drove in pinch-runner David Villarreal with the game-winning run, and Walton retired the side in the bottom half.

Walton sent the Packers down in order in seven of eight innings, excluding the fourth. Matt Johnson hit a grounder off Walton’s glove, and the ball rolled slowly towards second to allow Johnson time to get up the line. Walton then walked Nick Bowe to put two runners,but came back to strike out Andy Klapperick to end Austin’s only threat.

&uot;Isaac was in complete command,&uot; said Tigers coach Joe Sczublewski. &uot;He had his good fast ball and a hard breaking curve ball.&uot;

The Packers’ Kyle Rizzi was just as good on the other side of the scorebook, striking out a season-high 10 in the complete-game loss.

A one-out double by the Tigers’ No. 9 hitter Derek Goodnature produced the eventual game-winning run. Villarreal came in to pinch-run and moved to third on a single to left by Jay Link. Rizzi moved ahead on a 0-2 count and narrowly missed what for seven innings seemed to be a generous outside corner. Rizzi went back to the same spot, and Goodnature poked the pitch down the right field line for extra bases.

“I thought I got it with that pitch, so I threw one in the same spot and he stuck the bat on it,” Rizzi said. “It was a nice piece of hitting.”

Two batters later, with runners now on second and third after Link stole second, Highum lifted a fly ball to right field, and Beau Webber’s throw home, although on target, was just late to get Villarreal.

Johnson and Bowe were the only Packer batters to reach base. Austin (1-4, 1-3) has lost three of its four games by one run, while Albert Lea (2-4, 2-3) got its first win since the season opener against Rochester John Marshall.

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WP &045; Isaac Walton

LP &045; Kyle Rizzi