By Scott A. Kolb
Post-Bulletin, Austin MN
The Austin High softball team will try to play host to the entire schedule of the Elks Invitational today at Todd Park.
The eight-team event was supposed to start on Friday night, but rain prevented any action on the diamond. This means a total of three games are set to be played by each team in today’s rounds of the tournament.
"All of the games had to be called off on Friday, so we’re going to try and play all three rounds (today); we’ll see what happens," Austin softball coach Steve Knox said of the rescheduling for the tournament.
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Austin was to open the tournament with a game this morning against Dover-Eyota. Rochester John Marshall and Simley are on the other side of the bracket, so the Austin Packers will play one of those teams in the next round.
Eden Prairie, Hill-Murray, St. Peter, and Rochester Mayo are the other four softball teams competing in the Elks Invitational.
Junior college cancels
Riverland softball had its home doubleheader against Minnesota West postponed on Friday afternoon. The two games in this Minnesota Community College Conference, South Division twinbill have been rescheduled for Monday with a start time of 3 p.m. at the college field.
The Lady Blue Devils of Riverland are currently riding a three-game winning streak and they’ve climbed above the .500 mark in divisional play. This run included a sweep of a road doubleheader against Minnesota West this past Wednesday.
At last report, today’s trip to Decorah, Iowa, was still on for the Riverland women with a pair of games against the Luther College junior varsity.
The Riverland baseball team had a non-conference doubleheader cancelled for today against the Gustavus Adolphus College junior varsity. This comes on the heels of two games washed out on Thursday against Western Wisconsin Technical College.
The Blue Devils baseball will try to snap its five-game losing streak Sunday afternoon with a pair of division games on the road against Dakota County Technical College. Riverland was swept last Tuesday by Dakota County in a doubleheader at home, so revenge will be on the minds of coach Scott Koenigs and his team.
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Although the Blue Devils didn’t get to play four non-conference games this past week, coach Koenigs is still trying to replace those games. The clock is ticking as the regular season is set to end on the last week of this month.
No home opener
Getting in a home golf meet has so far an elusive quest for the Lyle/Austin Pacelli boys and girls teams. The L/P golfers were scheduled to play Mabel-Canton on Friday, but it was too wet on their home course at River Oaks in Austin.
The Southeast Conference dual meet against M-C will tentatively be rescheduled for either Apr. 26 or May 10. The home opener is now set for Monday against Lanesboro. At least, the L/P Athletics have managed to play a pair of road meets so far this season.
"We’re still looking for our home opener," L/P coach Mark Buntje said. "It was originally supposed to be last Friday, but the weather was even worse than (yesterday). It’s been tough on the kids not being able to play a home meet yet, but there has to be better days ahead."
According to coach Buntje, the plan was still on for the boys and girls to play today in a pair of different tournaments. The L/P boys were scheduled to be at the Blooming Prairie Invitational, and the girls at the Oaks in Hayfield.
The Austin boys golf team has its time in the Hayfield Invitational rained out on Friday. The Austin girls are scheduled to join the cast of teams at today’s portion of the tournament at the Oaks Country Club.
More postponements
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There was no trip to the historic Tink Larson Field in Waseca on Friday for the Austin High baseball team. The non-conference game between the Packers and Waseca Bluejays has so far been listed as postponed and thus, will likely be made up at a later date.
The next action for Packers baseball is a Big Nine Conference home doubleheader with the Rochester Mayo Spartans on Tuesday at the Riverland complex. The first pitch is set for 4 p.m.
Rescheduling a date for a non-conference game against Alden-Conger has so far been a challenge for the Lyle/Pacelli softball team.
This planned road game was initially moved from earlier in the month to Friday and then had to be called off, and now there has been no make-up date set. L/P is next scheduled for a road trip to Spring Grove on Monday.
