The Albert Lea baseball team bounced back from Friday’s loss in Winona with a gritty 4-2 victory over Mankato West Tuesday in Mankato.

Tigers junior Aaron Klatt threw seven effective innings and worked out of jams in picking up his second victory of the season on the mound. Klatt struck out nine and allowed two runs — one earned — on six hits in seven innings.

“Aaron had an outstanding effort on the mound,” said Albert Lea head coach Joe Sczublewski. “He got tougher as the game went on.”

Klatt worked out jams in the third and the fifth innings and stranded two runners in each inning.

The Tigers (3-1, 2-1 Big Nine) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning and made it 4-0 after the third inning.

Albert Lea senior Jordan Cooper finished 2-for-3 with an RBI in the third inning and junior J.T. Bellrichard went 1-for-3 with a two-out run-scoring single in the second. Tigers junior Connor Kortan added an RBI and went 1-for-3.

Albert Lea faces Faribault Thursday in a doubleheader in Faribault.

Albert Lea 4, Mankato West 2

Albert Lea 013 000 0 — 4 7 1

Mankato West 001 010 0 — 2 6 1

WP—Aaron Klatt 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

LP—Matt Anderson 7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K