Austin senior Hannah McMasters provided a power surge in the second game of a doubleheader as the Packers beat Kasson-Mantorville 6-3 after losing the opener to the KoMets 4-3 in nine innings under the dome at Wescott Athetic Complex Tuesday.

McMasters blasted a three-run double to the center field fence to snap a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh inning of the nightcap as she put the Packers (1-1 overall) in the position to win.

She went four-for-four in the win with three doubles and five RBIs after going 0-for-3 in the first game.

“We’ve all put in a lot of work before this season,” McMasters said. “I was really struggling with being nervous in that first game, but after my first at-bat I realized ‘I can go up there and I can hit the ball.’ I just had to work on my mental game.”

Austin head coach Lisa Lage said McMasters has put in a lot of hours into softball over the winter despite the fact that she also plays hockey.

“Hannah has put hours upon hours into this game and this sport outside of what we’ve done here this school year,” Lage said. “I’m super proud of the girls. We went nine innings in that first game and it was a hard loss, but the girls just kept plugging away in the second game. It shows their mental toughness and that’s something they had to work on from last year.”

The KoMets (1-1 overall) won the first game with an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth inning after Malia Schubert delivered a two-out RBI single to tie the game at 3-3 in the eighth. Before that Austin had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by Jordyn McCormack.

Austin took a 2-1 lead when Erin Bickler had an RBI groundout in the fifth inning of the first game, but the KoMets tied it up by scoring on a wild pitch.

The Packers had five errors and just three hits in the loss.

Austin freshman Jaeda Beckaert pitched a total of 16 innings for the Packers, allowing just five earned runs.

“Jaeda’s our workhorse. We’re riding her until there’s nothing left,” Lage said. “We do have some younger pitchers that we’ll see later this year, but she’s put in a lot of time and she’s worked on her mental toughness. I know she was tired today, but she wanted to push through and I couldn’t ask more from her.”

Kasson-Mantorville 4, Austin 3

Austin  000  020  010  – 3 3   5

KM  001  001  011  – 4 10  1

Austin pitching: Jaeda Beckaert (L) 8 1/3 IP, 10 H, 4 BB, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 K

Austin hitting: Aljiha Richard, 0-for-1, R, 3 BBs, SB; Madisyn Retterath, 0-for-3; Jordyn McCormack, 1-for-4, RBI; Hannah McMasters, 0-for-3, BB; Avery Thompson, 1-for-4, R, SB; Madisyn Busker, 0-for-3, BB; Erin Bickler, 0-for-3, RBI; Jenna Braaten, 1-for-4, double; Leslie Rodriquez, R

Austin 6, Kasson-Mantorville 3

Austin 101  010  3  –  6  11  3

KM 000  030  0  –  3  2   0

Austin pitching: Beckaert (W) 7 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 K

Austin hitting: Richard, 2-for-3, 2 R, BB; Retterath, 1-for-4, 2 R; McCormack, 1-for-3, R, BB; McMasters, 4-for-4, 3 doubles, 5 RBIs; Thompson, 0-for-2, RBI; Busker, 0-for-2, BB; Bekaert, 1-for-3; Bickler, 1-for-3; Braaten, 1-for-3; Lucy Langervall, R