Lyle/Pacelli baseball holds off AC/GE comeback attempt to win 11-8

The Lyle/Pacelli Athletics baseball team was looking for win number two in a row in a Southeast Conference matchup with Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons in front of a nice crowd at Marcusen Park Thursday, and it was the Athletics jumping out to a big lead and holding on down the stretch to prevail 11-8.

Lyle/Pacelli bolted out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first when leadoff hitter Landon Meyer reached on a walk and scored when Mac Nelson followed with a RBI double.  Hunter VaDeer then singled, sending Nelson to third, and he then scored on a RBI groundout from cleanup hitter Jake Truckenmiller.  VaDeer stole second and later scored on an error, pitcher Dane Schara doubled, stole third and also later scored on an error and left fielder Trey Anderson walked with two outs, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a RBI single from right fielder Blake Klingfus.

The Athletics increased their lead to 8-0 in the second when VaDeer singled with one out, stole second and scored on a RBI single from Truckenmiller, who wound up stealing second and third and later scoring with two outs along with catcher Logyn Brooks on a bases loaded, two-base error in right field by the Wolverines.  AC/GE scored an unearned run in the top of the third to make the score 8-1, but LP came back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning when VaDeer singled for his third hit of the game, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a balk to make the score 9-1, and Truckenmiller followed VaDeer by drawing a walk, and later scoring on a bases-loaded walk to push the Athletics’ lead to 10-1.

Here the Wolverines started to battle back as they used three walks, a passed ball, a wild pitch, a RBI groundout and a RBI single to cut the LP lead to 10-4, and they parlayed four walks, one with the bases loaded, a fielder’s choice, a stolen base and an error to plate three more runs in the top of the 5th to make the score 10-7.  Lyle/Pacelli answered in the bottom of the 5th when Truckenmiller led off with a walk, and Schara followed with a RBI double to make the score 11-7, but the Wolverines refused to fold as they used two singles and three errors to score an unearned in the top of the 6th run to cut the Athletics lead to 11-8.  A leadoff double by pitcher Lucas Hensche started off things well for AC/GE in the top of the 7th, but Jack Klingfus, who was the third pitcher of the game for Lyle/Pacelli shut the door from there with a strikeout, a grounder back to the mound and a liner to left to end the game.

Hunter Vadeer led LP offensivley by going 3 for 4 with three singles and three runs scored, Landon Meyer wound up 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored, Mac Nelson went 1 for 4 with a double, a RBI and a run scored, Jake Truckenmiller was 1 for 2 with two walks, two RBI’s and three runs scored, Dane Schara went 2 for 3 with two doubles, a run knocked in and another scored, Blake Klingfus was 1 for 4 with a RBI and Jack Klingfus was 1 for 4 with a single.  Schara got the start on the mound for the Athletics and earned the win by pitching the first 3 1/3 innings and giving up four runs, three earned on two hits, striking out seven and walking four.  Truckenmiller pitched 2/3rds of an inning for LP and gave up two runs, both earned on no hits, striking out one and walking two and Jack Klingfus pitched the last three innings for the Athletics and gave up two runs, both unearned on three hits, striking out three and walking two.

Lyle/Pacelli is now 2-1 on the young season, and the Athletics return to action next Tuesday in Spring Valley versus GMLOK in another Southeast Conference matchup, with first pitch at 4:30 p.m.