Lyle/Pacelli Athletics baseball uses big fourth inning to rally past Wabasha/Kellogg 10-7 in Section 1A playoffs

The Lyle/Pacelli Athletics, the No. 2 seed in the Section 1A baseball tournament tangled with No. 10 seed Wabasha/Kellogg Saturday afternoon at the Riverland Community College baseball complex in the second round of the winner’s bracket, and trailing 5-1 at one point, the Athletics exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth and went on to outlast the Falcons in a 10-7 win.

The game was tied at one after one inning of play, but it was Wabasha/Kellogg tallying two runs in the third and two more in the top of the fourth to take a 5-1 lead.  Lyle/Pacelli, though, came storming back and put up a seven spot in the bottom half of the inning to take an 8-5 lead.  The Athletics added two huge runs in the fifth inning to boost their lead to 10-5, as the Falcons trimmed the lead to 10-7 with two runs of their own in the top of the sixth, but they would get no closer as pitcher Jack Klingfus and the Lyle/Pacelli defense shut down the Falcons the rest of the way.

Starting pitcher Mac Nelson helped his own cause on the mound by going 1 for 3 offensively with a RBI and two runs scored, No. 8 hitter Isaac Nelson was 2 for 3 with a double, three RBI’s and a run scored, cleanup hitter Jake Truckenmiller went 2 for 4 with a RBI and a run scored, Hunter VaDeer was 1 for 4 with a run scored, Dane Schara walked twice, picked up two RBI’s and scored a run without the benefit of a hit and Trey Anderson also did not have a hit, but knocked in a run and scored another nonetheless.

Mac Nelson was credited with the win on the mound for LP as he pitched the first four innings and gave up five runs, two earned on four hits, striking out four and walking four.  Jack Klingfus pitched a three-inning save for the Athletics as he gave up two Falcon runs, both earned, on three hits, striking out three and walking none.

With their win, their ninth in a row, Lyle/Pacelli is now 16-4 on the season, and they will now take on No. 6 seed United South Central, who knocked off third-seeded Southland 6-3 on Saturday.  The game will be played on Field #2 at the Riverland complex today (Monday), and you’ll hear the game on AM 1480 KAUS, with the pre-game show getting underway at 4:45 p.m., and first pitch at 5:00 p.m.  A win for the Athletics would put them up against either No. 1 seed Hayfield or No. 4 seed Kenyon/Wanamingo in the winner’s bracket final on Saturday, June 4th at 12:00 p.m., while a loss would drop them into the second round of the Section 1A elimination bracket against Southland at 7:30 p.m. this (Monday) evening, and you would also hear that game tonight on AM 1480 KAUS.