The Austin softball team didn’t let a slow start damper its spirit, but it still came up on the short end of a 7-4 score in a loss to Rochester John Marshall in Todd Park Thursday.

The Rockets (2-0 overall, 2-0 Big Nine) came storming out of the gates as they tallied four unearned runs in the top of the first inning and they added two more runs in the top of the second to go up 6-0. From that point on Austin sophomore pitcher Hannah Rasmussen, who allowed three earned runs in seven innings, and the Packer defense settled down.

“We had timely hits and we made plays on defense,” Austin head coach Al Eckmann said. “The game was fun today and it was nice to have a game that was fun. We want to play like that all of the time.”

The Packers (0-2 overall, 0-2 Big Nine) had the bases loaded down 6-2 in the fifth and they weren’t able to get any closer, but they made a little noise in the seventh when Shayley Vesel came up with a two-out, two run single to make it 7-4.

Rasmussen has pitched for the Packer varsity team before, but Eckmann said she was probably feeling a little more pressure since she was starting in the second game of the season.

“Hannah was a little bit nervous,” Eckmann said. “This was her first real start and I thought she pitched a heck of a game. If we get out of that first inning it’s 4-3 and we win.”

JM 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 — 7 9 1

Austin 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 — 4 8 4

Austin pitching: Hannah Rasmussen (L) 7 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 7 R, 3 ER, 3 K

Austin hitting: Halie Retterath, 1-for-4, RBI; Adison Medgarden, 2-for-4, double, R; Shayley Vesel, 1-for-3, 2 RBIs, R, BB; Jordan Huntley, 0-for-4; Brandi Myers, 1-for-3, RBI; Kelsey Sederquest, 0-for-3; Bailee Brooks, 1-for-3, R; Cally Heiny, 0-for-1; Brooke Pazurek, 2-for-2, R