The difference in the first game was hits. Defense was the deciding factor in the second.

The Albert Lea Tigers were on the short end in both.

The Tigers dropped both ends of a Big Nine softball doubleheader Tuesday, falling 8-1 and 10-5 at Hammer Field.

&uot;We had spots where we looked real good,&uot; said Tigers assistant coach Rick Harves. &uot;The girls played hard. We’re still seeing improvement.&uot;

The Tigers fell behind early in the first game, trailing 8-0 before finally scoring in the bottom of the fifth inning on a single by Leah Boyer. Ashley Chrz had a triple and Amber Edwards doubled.

Jerri Mondeel had a single for the Tigers’ only other hit.

Nicole Rafdal pitched the first five innings and absorbed the loss. Therese Paczkowski pitched the last two innings.

&uot;The big difference was they outhit us 14-4 and we struck out six times to their three,&uot; said Harves.

Both teams had nine hits in the second game but the Tigers committed five errors to the Packers’ one. Austin also drew eight walks to two for the Tigers.

Chrz and Danielle Jacobs were both 2-for-3, Olson 2-for-4. Boyer, Rafdal and Christine Berggren also had hits.

Rafdal again started and went five innings on the mound, with Paczkowski pitching the final two.

The big blow for Austin was a third-inning home run by Steph Eslinger.

&uot;It was impressive &045; into the wind over the left field fence,&uot; said Harves, who has been filling in for head coach Sherrie Gayken, who has been attending to an ill relative.

Tuesday’s losses dropped the Tigers’ record to 1-6, all in the Big Nine Conference.

The Tigers play in the Panther Invitational Saturday at New Richland.

Game 1

Austin221

200

0 &045; 8

14

0

Albert Lea000

010

0 &045; 1

4

3

LP &045; Nicole Rafdal

Game 2

Austin102

322

0 &045; 10

9

1

Albert Lea001

040

0 &045;

5

9

5

LP &045; Nicole Rafdal