WINONA – It wasn’t until they reached the field that the Albert Lea American Legion baseball players realized the team they had prepared to face was not there.

Friday, August 03, 2001

WINONA – It wasn’t until they reached the field that the Albert Lea American Legion baseball players realized the team they had prepared to face was not there.

Instead of seventh-seeded Waseca, which Albert Lea beat handily twice this year, Post 56 met the second-seeded Rochester Patriots in the loser’s bracket of the district tournament.

Albert Lea’s season ended with an 11-0 loss Thursday.

&uot;When we went over there, we just figured we’d be playing Waseca,&uot; said coach Dell Dooley. &uot;They were seeded seventh out of eight teams. The Patriots were seeded second and having a good year.&uot;

But Waseca pulled off a 3-2 opening-round upset while Albert Lea lost at Austin.

Post 56 kept it close for four innings Thursday but the Patriots broke it open with five runs in the fifth, adding three in the sixth and two in the seventh.

Albert Lea had three hits, one apiece by Isaac Walton, Alan Attig and Jay Link.

Adam Hamberg started on the mound and took the loss, giving up six runs in five innings. Link pitched the last two innings. They both had one walk and one strikeout.

A Rochester right-hander went the distance on the mound, striking out six and walking one.

&uot;He was tough,&uot; said Dooley. &uot;We hit a lot of balls that were right at people. But they were just the better team today.&uot;

Albert Lea ended the season with a record of 9-17.

Roch. Patriots 11, Albert Lea 0

Albert Lea&160;

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Rochester

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LP – Adam Hamberg