Things started off about as bad as they could for the Packers in their softball opener, but Austin regrouped and played a solid six innings in a 6-4 loss to Faribault in Todd Park Friday.

The Falcons (1-0 overall, 1-0 Big Nine) caught the Packers (0-1 overall, 0-1 Big Nine) on their heels in the top of the first inning as Austin committed errors on two of the first three plays of the game. Faribault took a 3-0 lead and Austin was never able to tie or take the lead.

“We made a lot of errors and there were mental errors,” Austin head coach Al Eckmann said. “But we’re young and that’s going to happen. I thought we played better after that. We’re not happy that we lost, but we did some good things that we’re proud of.”

The Packers had the bases loaded with one out in the third inning and they couldn’t plate a run and they also had the bases loaded with one out in the fourth, where they scored just one run.

Austin pulled to within 6-4 in the seventh when Jordan Huntely knocked in a run with a groundout, but the Packers would get no closer.

Austin senior McKenzi Steibrink pitched five innings without walking a batter and she allowed just two earned runs in five innings in her first varsity start.

“McKenzi got kind of tired at the end so we made the switch,” Eckmann said. “I thought she did well. She did a nice job. She stood in there and she pitched the corners.”

Faribault 3 1 0 0 2 0 0 — 6 8 1

Austin 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 — 4 6 5

Austin pitching: McKenzi Steinbrink (L) 5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 ER; Jaidyn Bastian, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 0R , 1 K

Austin hitting: Justine Reimers, 0-for-4; Bailee Brooks, 0-for-2, BB; Brooke Pazurek, 1-for-4, RBI; Sydney Murphy, 0-for-3, BB; Shayley Vesel, 1-for-4, double; Bastian, 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB; Kelsey Sederquest, 0-for-3; Jordan Huntely, 1-for-2, double, RBI, R, 2 BBs; Keisha Berg, 1-for-2, BB; Ally Wood, 0-for-1; Matison Hackensmith, 1-for-1, R