Staten Island's Austin goes 6-for-6

Tyler Austin came into Sunday's game batting .250 for the Staten Island Yankees. He left with an average of .328.

The Yankees prospect went 6-for-6 with a homer, three doubles and four RBIs as Class A Short-Season Staten Island stomped Lowell, 16-1, to halt a four-game losing streak.

The game was the first six-hit performance in the New York-Penn League since Auburn's Manny Rodriguez went 6-for-6 on July 14, 2007, also at Lowell.

"Good preparation," Austin said. "I've been working really hard, just getting after it in the cages and just doing the right things."

Austin started his day off with a pair of doubles, belting one in the second and another in the fourth. The 19-year-old third baseman followed with a two-run single in the fifth before tacking on a second single in the seventh.

In the eighth, Austin hit his first homer in 16 games with the Baby Bombers and fourth overall this year. He finished the night by roping an RBI double in the ninth, completing his flawless performance at the plate.

"I couldn't believe that I went 6-for-6," he said. "That's about it. I probably should've been standing on third base, because the ball kicked away from the left fielder."

A 13th-round Draft pick in 2010, Austin hit. 390 with 12 extra-base hits in 20 games for the GCL Yankees before being promoted to Staten Island. He is batting a combined .364 in 36 games across both levels.

"A lot of hard work to tell you the truth," Austin said. "I feel like we have the best hitting coaches around. I put a lot of extra work in cages, [batting practice], stuff like that."

Also enjoying impressive offensive games for the Yankees on Sunday were left fielder Robert Rinard and designated hitter Zachary Wilson. Rinard finished 3-for-6 with a pair of longballs and six RBIs, while Wilson went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs, falling a single short of the cycle.

"We were tired of losing, I guess," Austin said. "We went 0-4 in our last four games, so we just had to get after it tonight."

The Staten Island pitching staff combined to allow just one run on five hits. Starter Zachary Vance (1-0) earned the win after yielding two hits and striking out six over five scoreless innings.