The Austin softball team made a late push that came up a little short as it opened its season with an 11-10 loss to Red Wing in Todd Park Tuesday.

The Packers (0-1 overall, 0-1 Big Nine) scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh as Brandi Myers doubled in two runs, Bailee Brooks hit a sacrifice fly and Austin added two more runs off a Winger throwing error. Austin’s comeback came to an end when Taylor Derry grounded out with no runners on base to end the game.

The Packers racked up 13 hits in the loss and Myers was 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

“They had played one game and we hadn’t any, but that’s not an excuse. We know we can play better,” Austin head coach Al Eckmann said. “I think our hitting has been good and we got people on base. We lost the game because of the mistakes we made, but we’re getting there.”

Austin pulled to within 6-5 in the fifth after Jordan Huntley doubled in a run and Myers singled in a run, but the Wingers (1-1 overall, 1-1 Big Nine) scored the game’s next five runs to go up 11-5. RW had jumped out to a 5-1 lead to start the game when it hit two early home runs.

Austin received a boost from some of its younger players as as sophomore Halie Retterath went 1-for-3, sophomore Hannah Rasmussen went 3-for-4 with an RBI and sophomore Addison Medgarden went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

“I thought [the sophomores] were great,” Eckmann said. “They did what they had to do and they did an outstanding job.”

RW 3 2 0 1 0 1 4 — 11 13 2

Austin 1 0 1 1 2 0 5 — 10 13 2

Austin pitching: Jaidyn Bastian (L) 3 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 K; Brooke Pazurek, 4 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 6 ER, 6 K

Austin hitting: Halie Retterath, 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BBs; Taylor Derry, 0-for-4; Hannah Rasmussen, 3-for-4, RBI, R; Shayley Vesel, 1-for-3, double, R, BB; Jordan Huntley, 2-for-3, 2 RBIs, R; Kelsey Sederquest, 0-for-2, R, BB; Brandi Myers, 3-for-4, double, 3 RBIs; Bailee Brooks, 1-for-4, RBI, R; Addison Medgarden, 2-for-3, RBI, R; Cally Heiny, BB; Hannah Burkhart, R; Ally Wood, R