After dropping the opening game of a doubleheader Saturday against Faribault, the Albert Lea baseball team dismantled the Falcons in Game 2.

Statistics are in the Scoreboard: May 3 post.

In Game 2, Albert Lea started with a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back during a 16-2 route. The Tigers added six runs in the second and five more in the third. Seven Albert Lea players had hits.

“It was great to see the bats come alive,” said Albert Lea coach Joe Sczublewski. “Our wins so far have been in tight games (a 5-3 victory at Waseca and a 2-1 home win against Winona in eight innings) so it was good to jump out to a lead.”

Parker Boyum and Parker Mullenbach led Albert Lea at the plate in both games. Both players were a combined 3-for-4. That included two doubles for Boyum with three RBIs and four runs scored. Mullenbach had 3 RBIs and scored two runs.

Johnathan Fleek led the Tigers from the mound. He pitched all five innings, struck out three batters and allowed four hits and two walks. Albert Lea limited its errors to one in both games.

“Our defense is playing really solid,” Sczublewski said.

Faribault won 5-3 in Game 1.

“It was a tight game down to the last out,” Sczublewski said. “We had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, and Paulsen would have cleared the bases, but their centerfielder made a nice running catch.”

The Falcons took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning, but Albert Lea’s Jake Thompson responded with a two-RBI single that helped the Tigers tie the game.

Chris Enderson started his first game on the mound and went the distance with seven hits, seven walks and five strikeouts.

Next, Albert Lea will play at 3:30 p.m. today at Austin. Hopefully, the third rescheduling is the charm. The game was postponed first on April 8, and later on April 29.

The Tigers will play for the second straight day at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Rochester John Marshall.