The Albert Lea softball team split a doubleheader with Austin Thursday, losing the first game 4-1 and winning the second 2-1 behind strong pitching.

With No. 1 starter Dezeray Jacobs out because of an ankle injury Tigers head coach Chad Feikema turned to Rebekah Koller and Nichelle Klatt to get the job done.

Koller pitched well, going seven innings, allowing one earned run on 10 hits in the loss, but the defense behind her let her down as three of the four runs the Packers scored were unearned.

Albert Lea (4-11 overall, 4-11 Big Nine) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Jenna Christiansen came around to score on a Lauren Klick single.

Austin answered in the fifth with two runs to take the lead and added two more in the seventh.

In the second game the Tigers won their fourth conference game, the most wins in a season during Feikema&8217;s term as head coach, behind Klatt.

In her first varsity start of the year Klatt threw a complete game, allowing one run on three hits.

Albert Lea gave her just enough breathing room with two runs in the third inning as Taryon Anderson knocked in Klick with a triple and Holly Cole followed with an RBI single.