A balk in the bottom of the eighth inning propelled Albert Lea to its first win of the season in the Big Nine Conference.

The Tigers rallied to beat Winona 2-1 Friday at Hayek Field.

“We got behind, and the kids kept battling back,” said Albert Lea coach Joe Sczublewski.

Winona took a 1-0 lead on a solo shot in the top of the third inning, but that was the Winhawks’ only run. Albert Lea scored the tying run in the bottom of the sixth. Zach Chicos reached first base with an error, Kole Smith bunted him to second and Johnathan Fleek drove him in with an RBI double, Sczublewski said.

Both teams played solid defense in the seventh, and the game went to an extra inning. After the Tigers held Winona scoreless in the top half, they threatened in the bottom. E.J. Thomas hit a lead-off single, Parker Mullenbach bunted for a base hit, and Jake Thompson singled to load the bases. Fleek took the batter’s box. However, the game-winning run was scored on a balk by Winona pitcher Drew Thompson. Thompson started his pitching progression and then hesitated.

“That’s something you don’t see very often. You can’t start and stop,” Sczublewski said in his 25th season leading the Tigers. “But we’ll take it any way we can get it.”

One game removed from pitching for a combined total of 27 walks with Rochester Century, the Tigers and Winhawks gave up a combined two base on balls.

Fleek went the distance as pitcher. He struck out three batters and allowed three hits and a walk.

“When he’s on the mound, everybody picks up their game defensively,” Sczublewski said. “In our two wins, Johnathan has been right around the dish mixing it up.”

Thompson gave the Tigers piece of mind by filling in for Fleek at shortstop.

Sczublewski said the outfield excelled when Winona drove the ball to center field.

“Wyatt Paulsen was all over the place,” he said. “He had seven put-outs and some really nice running catches.”

Next, Albert Lea (2-2 overall, 1-2 Big Nine Conference) will start Game 1 of a doubleheader at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Austin at Riverland Community College. Austin (1-4 overall, 1-4 Big Nine Conference) is coming off a pair of losses. The Packers’ lone win was 5-4 on April 17 against Winona at home.