Lyle/Pacelli Athletics baseball team sweeps Mabel-Canton in Southeast Conference doubleheader 6-5 and 17-2 Friday

The Lyle/Pacelli Athletics baseball team was looking to keep its record unblemished at Marcusen Park Friday versus the Cougars of Mabel-Canton in a Southeast Conference doubleheader, and in game 1, it was the Athletics earning their second walk-off win of the season thus far with a run in the bottom of the seventh to win by a score of 6-5.

The Athletics jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of the first, only to see Mabel-Canton come back with two runs in the top of the third and one in the fifth for a 3-2 lead.  Lyle/Pacelli moved back out in front with three runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 5-3 lead, but the Cougars had an answer in the top of the sixth with two runs to knot the game at 5-5.  The game then stayed scoreless until the bottom of the seventh, when the Athletics were able to push across the winning run to earn the 6-5 win.

The two teams combined for nine errors in the game, with five for Mabel-Canton and four for Lyle/Pacelli, and the Athletics tallied four hits for the game, all singles coming from Mac Nelson, Hunter VaDeer, Isaac Nelson and Trey Anderson, and leadoff hitter Landon Meyer score two of LP’s six runs in the game, while Nelson, VaDeer, Jake Truckenmiller and Logyn Brooks scored the others.

Mac Nelson got the start on the mound in Game 1 of the doubleheader and pitched the first five innings, giving up four runs, one earned, on no hits, striking out eight and walking three, and Hunter VaDeer then came in to start the sixth inning and picked up the win, giving up one unearned run on one hit, striking out five and walking one.

Game 2 of the doubleheader saw LP get their bats going in a big way, led by Hunter VaDeer, who went 4 for 4 with a home run, four RBI’s and four runs scored in a 17-2, 5-inning rout.

The Athletics scored early and often as they tallied three in the first, four in the second, and two in the third for a 9-0 lead.  LP broke the game wide open with a six-run top of the fourth and added two more runs in the fifth on their way to the win.  Jake Truckenmiller was the recipient of the big-time run support as he pitched all five innings for the win, giving up two runs, one earned on only two hits, five strikeouts and one walk.

There were hitting heroes aplenty for the Athletics besides VaDeer, as Landon Meyer was 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored, Truckenmiller helped his own cause immensely by going 2 for 5 with a triple, four RBI’s and a run scored, Mac Nelson went 1 for 3 with a run knocked in and three runs scored, Dane Schara was 1 for 2 with two RBI’s and a run scored, Logyn Brooks went 1 for 2 out of the ninth spot in the batting order with a double, three RBI’s and two runs scored, Isaac Nelsen registered an RBI and Jack Klingfus, Isaac Small, Trey Anderson and Dylan Regenscheid all scored runs for the Athletics in the win.

With the doubleheader sweep, Lyle/Pacelli is now 5-0 on the season, and the Athletics return to action at Marcusen Park versus Spring Grove Monday, with first pitch at 4:30 p.m.  You’ll hear the game live on AM 1480 KAUS, with the pre-game show getting underway at 4:20 p.m.