The Austin softball team lost its final home game of the season 11-5 to Rochester John Marshall at Todd Park Friday.

The Rockets tallied 12 hits in the game and they put up four runs in the fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead and JM added five runs in the fifth to go up 10-5. Austin was playing the game without a couple of regular starters, so some younger players had to step up.

Austin center fielder Ally Wood singled in her first varsity at-bat and freshman Brooke Pazurek made a couple of solid defensive plays at third base for the Packers (4-14 overall, 1-14 Big Nine).

“The kids did really well,” Austin head coach Cindy Owen said. “We had the misfortune of having a lot of kids gone tonight and the kids who came in did a really good job for us. We kept it close for half of the game and then things kind of busted open. That’s kind of the way the whole season has been for us.”

Austin took a 3-1 lead in the second inning when Abby Bickler blooped a two-out, two-run single and Shayley Vesel, who went 4-for-4, added an RBI-double.

The Packers had just two errors in the loss.

“We did communicate a little better,” Owen said. “We just need to make plays to get out of the inning.”

JM 1 0 0 4 5 1 0 — 11 12 1

Austin 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 — 5 8 2

Austin pitching: Abbey Ball (L) 7 IP, 12 H, 5 BB, 11 R, 10 ER, 8 K, 1 HBP

Austin hitting: Sydney Murphy, 0-for-2, R, BB; Shayley Vesel, 4-for-4, double, 3 RBIs, 2 SB; Zach Huntley, 0-for-3; Ball, 0-for-4; Erin Dankert, 2-for-4, R; Ally Wood, 1-for-2, R; Keisha Berg, 0-for-2, R, BB; Brooke Pazurek, BB; Abby Bickler, 1-for-3, 2 RBI, R; Lainie Tufte, 0-for-2