Austin sophomore pitcher Jaidyn Bastian delivered on her first start of the season as the Packers downed Pine Island 7-1 to win the Austin Elks tournament in Todd Park Saturday.

Bastian struck out seven, allowed six hits, struck out seven and she didn’t walk a batter in the win. Pine Island scored its lone run when Taylor Schroder hit a solo home run in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1, but the Packers (3-6 overall) weren’t rattled.

“I just needed to come back and keep throwing strikes,” Bastian said. “I didn’t really have any nerves, I felt pretty good.”

Austin took control of the game in the fifth inning when Abby Bickler, Sydney Murphy, Shayley Vesel and Abbey Ball all had consecutive one-out RBI singles and Jordan Huntley capped the rally with a two-run double that put Austin up 7-1.

“I think once they see good things starting from someone else they feel a little pressure to continue that streak,” Austin head coach Cindy Owen said. “As the game progressed they got a little more patient with their hitting and that really paid off.”

Murphy, who is Austin’s catcher, finished 2-for-4 and she also knocked a run in with a two-out single in the first inning. She said the Packers have a much better outlook on the season after they won three straight over the weekend.

“We came together as a team and we fed off each other really well. We’re feeling pretty good because we finally got a streak going,” Murphy said. “I was trying to keep Jaidyn’s head in it, because she’s really good when her head’s in it. We needed this game and I knew she could do it.”

Owen was pleased with how Bastian responded in her first pitching start of the season.

“Jaidyn did a very nice job,” Owen said. “I told her yesterday she was pitching and she did everything she needed to do today. Hats off to her and the nice part is she’s around for a couple of more years.”

Pine Island 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1 6 2

Austin 0 0 1 0 6 0 X — 7 8 1

Austin pitching: Jaidyn Bastian (W), 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 7 K

Austin hitting: Sydney Murphy, 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, R; Shayley Vesel, 1-for-3, RBI, R; Abbey Ball, 2-for-3, RBI; Jordan Huntely, 1-for-3, double, 2 RBIs; Jesse Smith, 0-for-3; Brooke Pazurek, 0-for-3; Erin Dankert, 1-for-2, 2 R, SB; Bastian, 0-for-2, R, BB; Abby Bickler, 1-for-2, RBI, R, SB; Kelsey Sederquest, R; Keisha Berg, 0-for-1