Softball: Packers drop two to Tigers
Published 10:17 pm Monday, April 29, 2013
Austin shortstop Shayley Vesel tags out Albert Lea’s Taylor Thompson at second base during a doubleheader at Todd Park Monday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
The Austin softball team just couldn’t contain Albert Lea’s hitting as it lost both games of a doubleheader by scores of 8-6 and 9-6 to the Tigers in Todd Park Monday.
Austin’s Jessie Smith takes a swing at a pitch during a doubleheader against Albert Lea in Todd Park Monday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
The Tigers (4-2 overall, 4-2 Big Nine) tallied a total of 30 hits in the two games and they scored in nine of the 14 innings.
“They killed us with their bloopers in that first game, then we would move in and they’d blast them over our heads,” Austin head coach Cindy Owen said. “We couldn’t find that consistency. I’ve been trying to get the outfielders to run in hard.”
The Packers (2-5 overall, 0-4 Big Nine) had 22 hits of their own on the day, but they weren’t able to put together any big rallies.
“We couldn’t get big hits when we need them and we left too many runners stranded,” Owen said.
The Packers had the bases loaded with one out in bottom of the seventh inning in the nightcap, but Kallie Hart popped out and Jaidyn Bastian flew out to end the game.
Austin had trailed that game 8-3 before it scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth, where Abbey Ball, who went 5-for-6 on the day, hit a two-run single.
Austin’s Sydney Murphy slides into home plate as Albert Lea catcher Dom Villarreal looks for a throw in Todd Park Monday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Bastian kept Austin in the nightcap by pitching three innings in relief and allowing just one unearned run. She had pitched in a freshman game and JV game before coming to the circle in the varsity game.
Austin will host Winona in a doubleheader Tuesday, which will be the team’s sixth and seventh games in a span of five days.
“The kids have a good attitude and we’re going to get there,” Owen said.
AL 0 1 4 0 2 0 1 — 8 16 1
Austin 1 0 0 3 1 1 0 — 6 11 2
Austin pitching: Abbey Ball (L), 7 IP, 16 H, 1 BB, 8 ER, 8 K
Austin hitting: Shayley Vesel, 1-for-3, double, R, BB; Erin Dankert, 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB; Sydney Murphy, 2-for-4, double, 2 RBIs, SB; Ball, 2-for-3, double, BB; Lisa Stundahl, 0-for-3, BB; Kallie Hart, 1-for-4, R, SB; Laura Siegfried, 1-for-3, 2 R, BB; McKenna Gleisner, 2-for-4, double, RBI, R; Abby Bickler, 1-for-3, RBI
AL 2 3 1 2 0 1 0 — 9 14 2
Austin 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 — 6 11 4
Austin pitching: Gleisner (L), 4 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 K, 1 HBP; Jaidyn Bastian, 3 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 R, 0 ER
Austin hitting: Vesel, 1-for-4, R; Bickler, 1-for-4, R; Murphy, 3-for-3, 2 R; Ball, 3-for-3, double, 3 RBIs, R, HBP; Stundahl, 1-for-3, RBI, BB; Jessie Smith, 0-for-4; Siegfried, 2-for-4, RBI; Brooke Flugum, 0-for-2; Gleisner, 0-for-2, R; Dankert, 0-for-1; Bastian, 0-for-2; Hart, 0-for-1