A baseball team with a .500 record will have its ups and downs and that’s what it’s been like this season for the Albert Lea American Legion baseball team, but Post 56 concluded the regular season Friday on the highest note possible.

Albert Lea (9-9) came through with a three-run rally in the sixth inning to knock off the Rochester A’s (18-12, 14-3), the league-leading team at Hayek Field for a 7-6 victory to cap off the regular season.

“This definitely gave us some momentum going into the playoffs, beating the top team in the league,” said Post 56 starter Colby Strilaeff.

Strilaeff battled through seven innings of work on the mound, allowing 10 hits, walking one and hitting three. Strilaeff had to work out of jams in the sixth and seventh innings to hold off Rochester for the win.

The A’s took a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth after No. 9 hitter Von Praska reached on an error. Two batters later Jordan Martini connected for an RBI single to give Rochester its first lead of the game.

Being down late in the game didn’t bother Post 56, but having a slim lead seemed to bother the A’s.

“That’s one thing with this team we keep battling,” Strilaeff said. “We never give up.”

Albert Lea pushed three runs across in the bottom half of the inning when Rory Hoium collected his third hit of the game — a one-out single.

With an 0-2 count and bases loaded, Jordan Cooper took the next pitch he saw and hit a deep fly ball to left field for a base hit to score Carter Kortan, who was running for Hoium on the play, and tied the game 6-6. Jordan Mondeel was thrown out at home trying to score and it looked as though Post 56 had squandered an opportunity.

Those thoughts quickly faded when A’s pitcher Kyle Sursely was called for a balk with Logan Kortan at third to push the go-ahead run across the plate. It was the third time in the game that a Rochester pitcher had committed a balk.

The balk call wouldn’t matter as much later because Luke Grossman hit an RBI single to score Cooper to make it a 7-5 game.

The A’s came back in the seventh for one run after Strilaeff walked Andrew Plevak with one out. Plevak later scored and Rochester had runners on second and third with two away. Strilaeff was able to retire leadoff hitter Matt Pearson on a groundball back to the pitcher’s mound to end the game.

Albert Lea jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the second inning where Strilaeff, Hoium and Mondeel all had RBI base hits.

“We can beat anybody and we can get beat by anybody,” said Albert Lea head coach Jack Kortan. “I’d prefer it be the first one.”

Post 56 tallied eight hits in the game as its offense has started to come life at the end of the season.

“I think we’re being more patient, getting ahead in the count,” Strilaeff said. “I think earlier we started guessing too much and now we’re pretty confident which pitch is going to come.”

The playoffs begin Tuesday and Post 56 will face the Rochester Patriots in Rochester.

Albert Lea 7, Rochester 6

Rochester 002 201 1 — 6 10 1

Albert Lea 040 003 x —  7 8 2

WP — Colby Strilaeff 7 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

LP — Kyle Sursely 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K