The Austin baseball team got two complete-game pitching performances and managed a split at Owatonna in the Packers' season-opening doubleheader Thursday.

Andy Swank lost a 4-2 affair in the opener, allowing 10 hits and three earned runs. Kyle Rizzi helped himself in the nightcap with a 3-for-3 hitting day to accompany a 4-3 pitching victory.

Rizzi had a bat in all four Packer (1-1, 1-1) runs in the second game, going 3-3 with a double, two runs scored and two runs batted in. Adam Edge and John Bastyr each went 2-4 to help Austin stave off Owatonna's bid for a sweep.

"It was just early season jitters I think," said Austin first-year coach Troy Watkins. "We made two of our four errors in the seventh inning of that second game, so we definitely have some things we can work on.

"Kyle was getting tired but he was able to gut it out for us, and he was huge at the plate too."

Rizzi drove in Eric Ramirez as the game-winning run in the top of the sixth in game two. Ramirez walked to lead off the inning, moved up on Edge's single and scored on Rizzi's double to left.

Rizzi struck out six, walked two and scattered six hits against only one earned run. Austin's defense committed four errors in the nightcap.

Sean Selmecki added an RBI-single to drive in Rizzi for a 3-1 Austin lead in the fifth. Selmecki will get the start for the Packers when they play defending section champion Northfield in a non-conference game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Marcusen Park. Austin's non-conference contest with Holy Angels originally scheduled for today has been cancelled because of wet conditions at Marcusen.

Austin awakening

Owatonna took a 4-0 lead through four innings and held off Austin's awakening bats for a 4-2 decision in the opener. Three of the Huskies' four runs came earned to Swank, who went the distance in defeat. He struck out two, walked one and allowed 10 hits in six innings.

"I think the biggest thing yesterday was that our pitchers threw strikes for us and did not issue a lot of walks," Watkins said. "They both had some confidence and experience, and that helped I think.

"We're happy to get that first win out of the way."

Austin scored twice in the sixth for its only offensive outburst of the opener. Joey Kroc ripped a leadoff double and scored on Jordan VanProosdy's single. VanProosdy later scored on an Owatonna throwing error.

"The bats were starting to come alive," Watkins said.

Austin had just five hits in the opener.

Linescores:

Game One

Austin0000020--251

Owatonna011200x--4102

WP--Miller. LP--Swank (0-1).

Game Two

Austin1010110--494

Owatonna0010002--362

WP--Rizzi (1-0). LP--Sykora.