It wasn't easy, but the Rochester A's began the First District tournament with a win.
The A's, seeded second, downed No. 7 seed Austin 3-1 on Tuesday at Century High School.
The A's managed nine hits, compared to seven by Austin. The win sets up a 1 p.m. contest Thursday at John Adams Middle School with the Rochester Patriots, the No. 3 seed and the tournament's host. The Patriots beat the sixth-seeded Rochester Redhawks 10-0 Tuesday.
"Today was not a hitter's day," A's coach Blake Kangas said. "The ground was soft (from rain) and the wind was blowing in. I knew a lot of runs wouldn't be scored."
Getting the pitching win was Brad Pfeffer. He worked eight innings.
ADVERTISEMENT
Despite winning by a relatively narrow margin, Kangas wasn't complaining.
"I told our players that at this point in the season, it is all about winning," he said. "I really don't care how they do it, just so long as we win."
The A's are 17-13 overall.
A's 3, Austin 1
Austin 100 000 0— 1 7 2
A's 001 110 x — 3 9 0
LP:Gasner 6 IP.
A's:Josh Denisen 3-for-4; John Meyer 2-for-4, RBI; Tyler Wright 1-for-2, R. Pitching: Meyer 1 IP, 2 K. WP: Brad Pfeffer 8 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K.
