Isaac Walton struck out 13 batters. Brandon Klukow pitched seven innings of four-hit baseball, not allowing an earned run.

Coach Joe Sczublewski said it should have been good enough to win.

It wasn’t.

Sczublewski’s Albert Lea High School baseball team wasted both strong pitching performances while dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Faribault at Hayek Field Tuesday. The Falcons won 4-0 and 5-4 in nine innings.

&uot;There were some bright spots,&uot; said Sczublewski, whose club fell to 3-12. &uot;We deserved to win both games with the pitching we had. We need to do a better job of putting together an inning. We leave too many guys stranded. We need some key hits.&uot;

The Tigers outhit the Falcons 7-5 in the opener but hurt themselves with three errors. Walton gave up one earned run, walking three.

&uot;When your pitcher strikes out 13 guys, you expect to win a game like that,&uot; said Sczublewski.

&uot;But you’ve got to have a little offensive support.&uot;

Matt Bracker had two of the Tigers’ hits. Adam Wacholz, Andy Drenth, Adam Highum, Jay Link and Klukow each had one hit.

Klukow, a freshman left-hander, turned in what Sczublewski called an outstanding pitching performance in game two. He allowed four hits, walking one and fanning two.

&uot;We kind of let down a little bit in the seventh,&uot; said Sczublewski.

Highum took the loss in relief.

Walton had two hits, Wacholz hit a home run. Bracker, Drenth and David Heijerman also had hits.

The Tigers 3-10 in the Big Nine, host a strong Rochester Mayo team Thursday.

Game 1

Faribault

010

201

0 &045; 4

5

0

Albert Lea

000

000

0 &045; 0

7

3

LP &045; Isaac Walton

Game 2

Faribault

010

000

211 &045; 5

7

2

Albert Lea

011

001

010 &045; 4

6

4

LP &045; Adam Highum