A taxed pitching staff presented no problems for the Albert Lea VFW baseball team Sunday when it faced Northfield for a chance to move on to the final four of the district playoffs.

Post 447 threw Aaron Klatt, who was coming off a four-hit, five-inning shutout performance Saturday in a 10-0, six-inning win over Northfield. Klatt threw just 71 pitches in the win and was even sharper Sunday in his five innings of work in a 4-3 victory.

“He pitched five really strong innings,” said Albert Lea head coach Jack Kortan. “I was never worried, he was never in trouble.”

Klatt gave up just one hit and one unearned run while striking out six to key Post 447.

The Albert Lea offense was able to strike early, fueled by its leadoff hitter Connor Kortan. Kortan led off the game with a double and scored on an RBI ground out by Klatt in the first inning. Post 447 added another run in the inning when Cole Sorenson drove in J.T. Bellrichard.

Kortan finished the day 2-for-2 with two walks, reaching base in every at-bat and driving in a run in the second to stake Post 447 to a 3-0 lead.

Albert Lea pushed the eventual game-winning run across in the fourth when Bellrichard was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Northfield made a game of it late, pushing two runs across in the seventh inning, one of which was unearned.

Post 447 will move on to face the Rochester Spartans Saturday in the final four in Austin. Albert Lea split the regular season meeting, winning the second game 4-3, but dropping the league game 5-3 in eight innings. The loss stuck in the memory of the team and it was looking forward to another opportunity against the Spartans.

“I look at it as a little revenge. We had them down 3-0 and we didn’t hit the ball well,” Kortan said. “I think it’s a revenge game because we’re the better team.”

Part of the reason Kortan believes his squad is the better team is because of the resurgent offense, which rapped out seven hits Sunday.

“Ever since the LaCrosse tournament we’ve grown,” Kortan said. “We’re going to be a force because we’ve been hitting the ball a lot better.”

The experience of six returning starters from last season’s district champion team and playing in tight ball games all season also has Kortan confident coming into the final four.

“I think that’s big coming into the final four for districts,” Kortan said. “I think that’s going to be a big factor of us winning it, I hope.”

Albert Lea 4, Northfield 3

Northfield 000 100 2 — 3 5 2

Albert Lea 210 100 0 — 4 7 1

WP — Aaron Klatt 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

LP — Charlie Cloud 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K