AUSTIN – There’s no doubt in the mind of Bob Hamberg that the Albert Lea American Legion baseball team can beat Austin.

Sunday, July 08, 2001

AUSTIN – There’s no doubt in the mind of Bob Hamberg that the Albert Lea American Legion baseball team can beat Austin.

It just hasn’t happened this summer. But it’s been mighty close.

Post 56 absorbed its second one-run loss in less than a week to its arch rivals, falling 6-5 Friday in the second round of Austin’s Post 91 Classic.

&uot;Sure, we can beat them,&uot; said Hamberg, Post 56’s assistant coach who was filling in for absent head coach Dell Dooley. &uot;We just have to avoid the errors. Last week we gave them two runs in a 3-2 loss. Today, it was the same thing. Errors came back to beat us.&uot;

That’s for sure.

All four of Albert Lea’s errors came in the first inning, when Austin scored three unearned runs while taking a 4-0 lead.

&uot;We didn’t do a very good job on the corners,&uot; said Hamberg of the defense. &uot;David Dahl played very well at shortstop.&uot;

And Adam Hamberg didn’t have a bad game on the mound. He went the distance, giving up three earned runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out four.&uot;

&uot;He didn’t have his best game,&uot; said Bob Hamberg. &uot;But he pitched well enough to win. We should have won it.&uot;

Adam Hamberg also did his best to rally his team, hitting a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull Albert Lea within a run.

Isaac Walton led the offense, going 3-for-4 with one run batted in. Hamberg was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, Alan Attig 2-for-3 with one RBI. Adam Lares was also 2-for-3. Phil Wacholz contributed one hit.

&uot;It just wasn’t our day, I guess,&uot; said Bob Hamberg. &uot;We had the hits; we just couldn’t get the runs across.&uot;

The loss put Post 56 into the consolation bracket of the tournament, which continued Saturday and today at Austin’s Riverland Community College and Marcusen Park.

The Legion team continues regular-season play Monday with a 7 p.m. game at the Rochester A’s.

Austin 6, Albert Lea 5

Austin 400 002 0 – 6 5 1

Albert Lea 100 100 3 – 5 10 4

LP – Adam Hamberg