The Austin baseball team left 10 runners on base in a 6-4 loss to Mankato East in Seltz Field Tuesday.

The Packers (1-6 overall, 0-5 Big Nine) left the bases loaded in the third and fourth inning, a runner on third in the fifth and sixth inning, and runners on first and second in the seventh inning.

“We kind of feel like we gave this one to them,” Austin head coach Troy Watkins said. “We just didn’t do the little things well, like striking out with a guy on third with one out instead of putting it in play to get a run in. In close games, the little things are big.”

Austin had a run taken away in the third when Brady Klingfus was called for sliding two hard into second base to produce an inning-ending double play.

Seth Allan put the Cougars (1-3 overall, 1-3 Big Nine) up 5-2 with a home run in the sixth inning but Austin scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-4. Austin allowed the Cougars to score off an error in the top of the seventh.

Preston Higbe allowed just one earned run in just over four innings of work for the Packers.

“Preston kept us in the game and that was impressive,” Watkins said. “He’s done a nice job of leading us.”

Jay Ettinger had a double, a triple and two RBIs for Austin.

Mankato East 0 4 0 0 0 1 1 — 6 11 1

Austin 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 — 4 9 1

Austin pitching: Robert Wahlert (L), 1 2/3 IP, 4 H, 6 BB, 4 ER; Preston Higbe, 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 K

Austin hitting: Jay Ettinger, 3-for-4, double, triple, 2 RBIs; Higbe, 1-for-4, RBI; Mike Tindal, 1-for-4; Jacob Hines, 1-for-3; Quinn Yocom, 2-for-2, R; Nate Paris, BB, 2 HBP, 2 R