Austin Packers baseball team uses two runs in the top of the 7th to down Northfield 9-7 Tuesday

The Austin Packers baseball team was looking for win number two in a row on the road in Northfield versus the Raiders in a Big 9 Conference matchup Tuesday, and in a back-and-forth affair, the Packers broke a 7-7 tie with two runs in the top of the 7th to win 9-7.

Northfield led 3-0 with two runs in the bottom of the first and another in the third, but Austin plated four runs of their own in the tp of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead.  The Raiders took the lead back at 5-4 with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, but the Packers answered wtih a run in the top of the fifth to knot the game at 5-5.  A single run for Northfield in the bottom half of the inning put them back in front 6-5, but the see-saw affair continued in the sixth inning when Austin answered with a pair of runs for a 7-6 lead.  The Raiders again tied the game at 7 with a run in the bottom half of the inning, but two runs in the top half of  the seventh gave the Packers a lead they would not relinquish at 9-7.

Austin’s bats belted out six doubles and a total of 12 hits in the ballgame, led by Nick Robertson, who was 3 for 5 with two of the six doubles, three RBI’s and two runs scored, Dakota Retterath went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI’s, plus a run scored, Peyton Ransom went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, Isaac Stromlund belted out two hits in four trips to the plate with a double, two RBI’s and a run scored, Isaac Osgood went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored, and Ethan Anderson and Brayden Bishop were also both 1 for 3, with Anderson scoring a run and Bishop belting a double.

Righthander Peyton Ransom got the start for the Packers and pitched the first 4 and 1/3rds of an inning, giving up six runs, four earned, on seven hits, striking out four and walking three, Blake Cummings then went 2/3rds of an inning and gave up one run, which was earned, on three hits, and he did not strike out or walk a batter. Sam Oelfke then came in and pitched two innings to earn the win, giving up no runs on no hits, striking out none and walking one.

With the win, Austin is now 2-3 on the season, and the Packers return to action Thursday at home versus I-90 rival Albert Lea, with first pitch at 5 p.m.