Austin Packers baseball falls to top-ranked Mankato West 2-1

The Austin Packers baseball team was on the road in Mankato Thursday to take on their third straight quality opponent in as many games to open the 2022 season as they met the West Scarlets, the No. 1 team in the state in the first Class AAA poll of the season.  In well-played game by both squads that turned into a pitchers’ duel, the Scarlets pushed across a run on a squeeze play, and their second run of the game, which was unearned, unfortuantely turned out to be the difference for the Packers as they fell to West 2-1.

Isaac Osgood and Nic Robertson led the way for Austin at the plate as both were 2 for 3, while Dakota Retterath went 1 for 3 and knocked in the only run of the game for the Packers.  Robertson went the entire way on the mound for Austin and took the hard-luck loss as he pitched six innings and gave up the two Scarlet runs, one earned, on seven hits, striking out four and walking two.

Austin will play their home opener on Saturday afternoon at Dick Seltz Field versus Plainview-Elgin-Millville in a non-conference matchup, and you’ll hear the game on AM 1480 KAUS, with the pre-game show set to start at 11:45 a.m., and first pitch will come your way at 12:00 p.m.