Coach Rick Harves and the Albert Lea High School softball team waited a long time for their offense to come around.

They weren’t about to wait any longer. So they started hitting early and never looked back.

The Tigers smacked three consecutive doubles and scored three times in the bottom of the first inning on their way to an 8-4 triumph over Owatonna at Hammer Field Tuesday.

&uot;It’s a nice win, a good team win,&uot; said Harves. &uot;The team played well together, and it was

nice to have the hits.&uot;

And Nicole Rafdal allowed the Huskies only six hits while pitching another complete game. She struck out three and walked one.

&uot;It was another fine game by Rafdal, her third or fourth real solid game in a row,&uot; said Harves. &uot;For a sophomore, that’s real good. It’s easy to forget sometimes how young she is.&uot;

Ashley Chrz, Jenny Hovendick and Danielle Jacobs got the Tigers going with their first-inning doubles.

The Tigers tacked on four runs in the third. Chrz singled, Hovendick walked and Laura Olson walked, setting up a two-run single for Rafdal. Jessica Hanson followed with a two-run base hit.

In the fourth, Amber Edwards walked, stole second and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice.

Chrz was 3-for-3 with a double for the game. Hovendick was 2-for-2 with a walk.

The Tigers, 2-12, host New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva in a nonconference game today at 3:45 at Hammer Field.

Owatonna

000

102

1 &045; 4

6

2

Albert Lea

304

100

x &045; 8

8

3

WP &045; Nicole Rafdal