The Austin baseball team split a doubleheader at Owatonna as they took the first game 2-1 in eight innings and dropped the nightcap 9-2 Tuesday.

Nik Gasner scattered seven hits as he allowed one run in eight innings in the win for the Packers (6-11 overall, 3-8 Big Nine). Austin took the lead for good when Nate Conner came up with an RBI single to score Jake Reinartz, who slid around a tag at home plate, in the top of the eighth.

“We played really, really well [in the first game],” Austin head coach Chris Gogolewski said. “The big thing was that Nik backed up his performance against Century and he came through and battled. He kept sucking up the innings.”

Austin 2, Owatonna 1

Austin pitching: Nik Gasner (W) 8 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 6 K

Austin hitting: Dylan Gasner, 2-for-3; Alex Ciola, 1-for-4; Nate Conner, 3-for-4, RBI; Ryan McCormack, 1-for-3

Owatonna 9, Austin 2

Austin pitching: Tyler Bundy (L) 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 R; Isaac Schumacher, 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 R; Hunter Lewis, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 R, 1 K

Austin hitting: Jake Reinartz, 1-for-4; Nik Ganser, 1-for-3, RBI; McCormack, 2-for-2; Brady McDermott, 1-for-1