Blooming Prairie stretched to the limits by adversity

Published 12:00 am Saturday, May 25, 2002

Both Blooming Prairie and Lyle/Pacelli chose to take the low road, but only one emerged to keep their softball season alive.

Sixth-ranked L/P and the 10th-rated Blossoms both lost their first-round matches in Section 1A tournament play Saturday at Todd Park in Austin, forcing a rematch of the West Sub-Section's championship finale.

Blooming Prairie, who came out on top Wednesday night with a 2-1 comeback win, scored eight runs in the fourth inning and held off a persistent Lyle/Pacelli squad for a 9-8 triumph Saturday afternoon.

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Lyle/Pacelli (18-5) had it season ended with two consecutive losses for the first -- and last -- time this year.

"They're a great group of girls, they should really be proud of all their accomplishments this year," said L/P coach Tom Clements. "I was proud of them, they just didn't give up."

After an error-filled fourth inning allowed Blooming Prairie (16-5) to take a 9-1 lead despite an injury to Blossom catcher Maggie Romeo. The outspoken vocal leader of the team, Romeo laid in the dirt after sliding into the shin guards of L/P catcher Rebecca Mino on a close play at the plate. She recovered to touch home plate with the sixth of eight BPHS runs, but her loss was obvious.

Blossom coach Chad Gimbel scrambled to find the lineup that would hold together defensively, and even though he was relatively unsuccessful, Blooming Prairie staved off a number of scares from L/P's awakened offense.

"It was just enough I guess," Gimbel said of the eight-run outburst. "Maggie's a leader, a vocal leader, she keeps charge of everybody. Our mind kind of went away after that."

Lyle/Pacelli scored three runs in the bottom half of the fourth on two hits and three Blossom errors. L/P added two runs in both the fifth and sixth, but BP pitcher Abbey Bergstrom retired the side with fly balls protecting a one-run lead in the bottom of the seventh.

Despite eight Blossom errors, center fielder Amanda Herdina made a spectacular running catch on Kelsey Sampson's shot to left-center to end the game.

"We got rattled a little bit, but when it counted we got the job done," Gimbel said. "It wasn't easy. There's nothing easy anymore."

The Blossoms will play the loser of the Elgin-Milville vs. Rushford-Peterson contest, which was in action late Saturday. Elgin-Milville (15-8) beat L/P 2-1 in Saturday's 1A opener, while the R-P Trojans toppled the Blossoms 10-3. Blooming Prairie meets its next foe -- either R-P or E-M -- Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Todd Park. The finals will be played at 7 p.m. Tuesday, and if necessary a third and final deciding game will be played Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Linescores:

Lyle/Pacelli1000000--193

Elgin-Milville001001x--240

Amy Bickler and Rebecca Mino; Candace Olson and Jenna Christensen. WP -- Olson. LP -- Bickler. 2B -- R.Mino 2, Mudra.

Rush.-Pet.0024400--10103

BPHS3000000--345

Denise Jacobsen and Leah Rislove; Abbey Bergstrom, Emily Wencl (7) and Maggie Romeo. WP -- Jacobsen. LP -- Bergstrom. 2B -- BP: Rachel Long. 3B -- R-P: Abby Ingram.

BPHS1008000--988

Lyle/Pacelli0013220--883

Bergstrom and Romeo, Amanda Schlund (4); Bickler and R.Mino. WP -- Bergstrom. LP -- Bickler. 2B -- L/P: Susie Rayman, Kelsey Sampson. 3B -- BP: Bergstrom.