The Austin baseball team struggled on defense and it proved costly as the Packers lost to Owatonna 9-5 in a six-inning game that was shortened by rain in Seltz Field Thursday.

Austin committed nine errors in the loss and seven of Owatonna’s runs were unearned as Austin pitchers Josi Bothun and Jack Dankert, who struck out five, each held the Huskies to two hits in three innings.

As the rain picked up, Owatonna scored three runs in the top of the sixth off a dropped fly ball and an Austin throwing error to go up 9-5.

“Conditions aside, we didn’t play well in the first five innings when they conditions were fine,” Austin head coach Joe Kroc said. “Part of it’s on me too. We got stuck with some lineup stuff and that’s on me. We faced a good team and we didn’t make plays and they did. We walked a lot of guys and they didn’t. That’s baseball.”

The Packers (4-2 overall, 3-2 Big Nine) pulled to within 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth when AJ Mueller doubled in a run with two outs. That rally came to an end when Hunter Johnson lined out to deep left field with runners on first and second.

Kroc liked the fire he saw from his team after they trailed 6-0 after four innings.

“This group is really good,” Kroc said. “They’re always into it. It’s never a question about effort and that’s a great skill for baseball and for life as well. They’re always engaged and into the game.”

Owatonna 0 1 2  1 2 3  —  9  4  3

Austin 0 0 0  0 5 0  —  5  5  9

Austin pitching: Josi Bothun (L) 3 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 4 R, 1 ER; Jack Dankert, 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 R, 1 ER, 6 K

Austin hitting: Dankert, 0-for-2, R, BB; Pete Conner, 1-for-3, RBI, R; Phillip Zynda, 1-for-3; AJ Mueller, double, RBI, BB; Bothun, 0-for-3; Hunter Johnson, 0-for-2, R; Riley Retterath, 1-for-3, R; Ross Young, 0-for-2, RBI; Michael O’Connor, BB; Riley Wempner, 0-for-2; Andrew Schumacher, R