Albert Lea baseball beats Mankato West 4-3 in first extra-inning game of season

Josh Eisenbraun hit a game-winning single to left field Tuesday, scoring Cole Sorenson and lifting the Albert Lea Tigers baseball team to a 4-3 eight-inning win over Mankato West at Hayek Field.

Seven different

Tigers batters had hits to back starting pitcher Aaron Klatt (2-0) who struck out 10 and walked one over all eight innings.

Tied 3-3 with the Scarlets (1-2, 1-2 Big Nine) in the bottom of the eighth, the Tigers’ Sorenson led off the inning with a double to left field. After one unproductive at bat, an infield out moved Sorenson to third base and Eisenbraun drove him in with two outs.

Eisenbraun was the only Tigers batter with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

The Scarlets took a 2-0 lead in the third inning but defense kept the Tigers in the game. With two outs in the third, the Scarlets threatened to score a third run off a single to left field when Cory Hansen threw a quick relay to third baseman J.T. Bellrichard, who narrowly threw out a would-be run at home plate. Bellrichard also made a diving stop in the top of the eighth inning and threw out a runner at first base.

The Tigers (3-0, 3-0) took a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning off an RBI sacrifice fly to center field by Sorenson, an RBI single to center by Cody Haaland and an RBI single to right from by Makael Lunning. Connor Kortan led off the fourth with a walk, while Klatt and Bellrichard also notched hits in the inning.

Klatt threw his second consecutive complete game. He also earned a win in the Tigers’ season opener on April 5 against Winona.

“Klatt pitched another strong game,” Tigers coach Joe Sczublewski said. “He seems to get better as the game goes on and is a true competitor for us.”

The Tigers play again at 4 p.m. Thursday with doubleheader against Faribault (3-0, 2-0) at Hayek Field.

Albert Lea 4, Mankato West 3

MW 002 001 00 — 3 8 3

AL 000 300 01 — 4 8 0

WP — Aaron Klatt 8 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO

LP — Ryan Ohme 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO