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The Austin baseball team played one of its cleanest games of the season against Faribault, but they followed it up with a mistake laden loss as they split a doubleheader with the Falcons in Seltz Field Thursday night.

The Packers won the opener 5-0 behind a shutout from John Rollie, but they committed eight errors in a 10-7 loss in the nightcap to snap a four-game winning streak.

Austin head coach Jacob Nelson pictures his team looking more like the team in the first game than the second one, which saw him mix up the lineup for senior night.

“We’ve been putting in a lot of work in practice after a slow start. We were in every single one of the games that we lost early on, and then we put together a winning streak and the kids were on a high,” Nelson said. “Our bats popped tonight and we out-hit them, but we just needed to make more plays in the field. We had some people playing in positions that they don’t always play, but that’s no excuse. Wherever we put them, they should be able to play.”

Faribault (2-12 overall) scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning of the nightcap, but Austin bounced back in the bottom of the first when Haydn Quitmeyer and Noah Dunlap each doubled in a run. However, a multitude of errors caught up to the Packers and Faribault posted three runs in the top of the fourth to go up 6-2.

Rollie struck out nine and allowed just three hits and zero walks in seven innings in the first game.  

“We’re just having fun right now,” Rollie said. “I wanted to close out this game really bad. I just had to throw strikes and let my defense do the work.”

Austin (5-7 overall) took control of the opener when Cooper Jacobsen and Rollie each drove in a run during a three-run second inning.

Quitmeyer had a productive outing at the plate as he finished four-for-seven with a pair of doubles and an RBI in the doubleheader.

“Haydn had an outstanding game in both games and John pitched amazing in the first game,” Nelson said. “He kept them off balance and they didn’t score any runs on him. We had some pitchers who haven’t pitched as much in the second game and we’re trying to work with them.”

GAME 1

Faribault 0 0 0  0 0 0  0  –  0  3 3

Austin 0 3 0  0 1 1  X  –  5 10 2

Austin pitching: John Rollie (W) 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 9 K

Austin hitting: Jonah Klein, 1-for-4, R; Casey Denzer, 2-for-3, HBP; Noah Dunlap, 1-for-3, R; Rob Lillis, 1-for-3, R, HBP; Benton Purkapile, 1-for-3, R, HBP; Cooper Jacobsen, 1-for-2, double, 2 RBIs, R; Rollie, 1-for-3, RBI; Haydn Quitmeyer, 2-for-3; Cody Pederson, 0-for-3

GAME 2

Faribault 1 1 1  3 2 0  2  – 10  8  4

Austin 2 0 0  2 1 0  0  – 7  11  8

Austin pitching: Tyler Carter (L) 3 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 K; Dylan Wencl, 1 1/3 IP, 3 BB, 3 R, 1 ER, HBP, 1 K; Casey Denzer, 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 1 K

Austin hitting: Cam Lundberg, 2-for-4, double, 2 R; Dylan Wencl, 0-for-3, R ; Noah Dunlap, 2-for-4, double, 2 RBIs, R; Rob Lillis, 0-for-3; Haydn Quitmeyer, 2-for-4, 2 doubles, RBI, R; Keegan Duholm, 0-for-2; Carter, 0-for-1; Cody Pederson, 1-for-4; Shaye Gustafson, 0-for-2; Denzer, 1-for-3; Rollie, 2-for-2, RBI, R; Jonah Klein, 0-for-1; Cooper Jacobsen, 1-for-1, R; Brock Davis, 0-for-1