It was close, but not enough.

The Packers baseball team just missed finishing off a quality effort in a 4-2 loss to Mankato West at Seltz Field Thursday night under the lights.

Austin (1-4 overall, 0-4 Big Nine) had runners on first and second with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh after Adam Hemann and Brady Klingfus were each hit by pitches. That’s when Mankato West went to reliever Ray Teachout, who struck out three straight Packers to end the contest.

“We just wish we could’ve made a couple more plays. They really shut the door on us at the end” Austin head coach Troy Watkins said.

Dylan Monson was the first of three Packers to strike out in the seventh as he missed a 1-2 curve ball.

“Those are some of the best pitchers we’re gonna face all year, but (Teachout) had a lot better off-speed stuff,” Monson said.

Austin fell behind 4-0 in the top of the sixth when the Scarlets (2-0 overall, 2-0 Big Nine) scored two unearned runs on a two-out triple by Derek Cattrysse. Austin starter Brady Klingfus, who struck out six, had retired the first to batters of the inning, but Luke Weber reached on an Austin error to spur a Scarlet rally that saw Klingfus leave the game after throwing 103 pitches.

“Brady pitched an amazing game tonight. After that first inning (where Klingfus struck out two) he just really got us going,” Monson said.

Austin made it a 4-2 game in the bottom of the sixth when Joel Swatfager and Mark Harber each had RBI groundouts.

“Even though we had a loss, we just looked real good and our hitting wasn’t that bad,” Monson said. “I think our mentality was just at a whole different level. We knew we could play with these guys. We just couldn’t pull it off.”

The Scarlets scored in the fifth on a two-out run scoring single by Brock Lloyd and they scored in the fourth on a one-out RBI-double by Teachout.

After committing eight errors in a loss to John Marshall Tuesday, Austin had just two miscues Thursday.

“I thought the guys battled and there was a lot more intensity tonight and that’s what we need,” Watkins said. “We need to play good defense to win and we can make the plays.”

Austin will host Winona Monday at 5 p.m.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

MW 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 4 9 1

Austin 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 3 2

Austin pitching: Brady Klingfus (L), 5 2/3 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 4 R, 2 ER, 6 K, HBP; Robert Wahlert, 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K

Austin hitting: Steven Rizzi, 1-for-2, R, BB; Joel Swatfager, 0-for-3, RBI; Nate Wagner, 0-for-3; Adam Hemann, 2-for-2; Klingfus, 0-for-2; Dylan Monson, 0-for-2; Nate Justice, 0-for-2; Jordan Hall, 0-for-2, R, BB; Mike Hoeper, 0-for-1

MW pitching: Brock Lloyd (W), 6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 K, 3 HBP; Ray Teachout (S), 1 IP, 0 R, 3 K

MW hitting: Derek Cattrysse, 2-for-3, triple, 2 RBIs; Lloyd, 2-for-4, RBI; Jack Mages, 2-for-4; Chris Zimmerman, 1-for-3; Teachout, 1-for-4, double, RBI; Lucas Ohme, 1-for-2