Since beating  Austin 15-13 on April 27, 2012, the Albert Lea softball team has maintained a firm grasp on the Packers.

The Tigers have taken down their rival four straight times and will defend that streak in a doubleheader at 4 p.m. Thursday at Albert Lea’s Hammer Complex.

Those four wins included a doubleheader sweep during the regular season last year along with a victory in the Section 1AAA playoffs.

Last year, Albert Lea came into the doubleheader with a 2-2 record and played an Austin team that was 2-3. This year, the Tigers are 2-6, and the Packers are in search of their first win of the season at 0-6.

Albert Lea coach Dan Harms said he knows his team has more potential than they’ve shown so far in the win and loss columns.

“It’s been a tough start,” he said. “We started off well against Owatonna — which was great — but we’ve been on a skid here as of late. Like I told them, we’ve still got 12 games left of the regular season, so if we get back on track, we can roll.”

The Tigers’ returned every player from last year except Dominique Villarreal — a Big Nine All-Conference selection at catcher — so they have the lineup to do so, especially with the emergence of Veronica Silva behind the plate. Austin is Albert Lea’s first obstacle in its final dozen games of the regular season.

Aside from it’s main foe, Albert Lea will have to face the weather. The Tigers’ home game Tuesday against Winona was postponed to 5 p.m. May 14. Albert Lea athletic director Chris Chalmers has had a busy spring as it was the sixth softball postponement to go along with numerous others for Albert Lea’s seven spring sports.

“We’re just hoping to get the game with Austin in this week to turn the tides and get some confidence,” Harms said.

The Tigers were beaming with confidence after a grand slam by Kassi Hardies lifted Albert Lea over Owatonna 7-2 in the season opener. However, the Tigers are still searching for their second conference win after four other Big Nine games.

To prepare for Austin, Albert Lea practiced Tuesday against the Tigers’ JV team in the gym.

“We’re doing a little scrimmage with the JV. There’s a little more live action,” Harms said. “The drill work is a little monotonous after we’ve already been outside.”

The Tigers were forced into the gym last season as well because of a storm that dropped a foot of wet, heavy snow on May 2. It was enough to shatter records for the day and the entire month.

“The last two springs have been brutal,” Harms said. “We’ve had really good springs prior to this. We’d be inside for a week and a half or two weeks, and we’d never go back inside.”

The Tigers won their last four meetings with the Packers, but Austin has the edge in the last 10 games. Before Albert Lea’s streak began, the Packers won six straight games against the Tigers from April 9, 2009 to April 12, 2012. Half of those games were decided by two runs or fewer.

 

Rivals take the field

Who: Austin at Albert Lea

What: Varsity softball doubleheader

When: 4 p.m. Thursday

Where: Albert Lea High School’s Hammer Complex

Records: Albert Lea 2-6; Austin 0-6

 

The last 10 meetings

May 23, 2013: Albert Lea 8, Austin 0*

April 29, 2013: Albert Lea 9, Austin 6

April 29, 2013: Albert Lea 8, Austin 6

April 27, 2012: Albert Lea 15, Austin 13

April 12, 2012: Austin 5, Albert Lea 4

April 12, 2012: Austin 13, Albert Lea 1

April 21, 2011: Austin 9, Albert Lea 7

April 22, 2010: Austin 8, Albert Lea 6

April 9, 2009: Austin 9, Albert Lea 5

April 9, 2009: Austin 10, Albert Lea 0

*Section 1AAA playoffs