The Lyle/Pacelli baseball team couldn’t get enough offense going in an 8-1 loss to Mabel/Canton at Marcusen Park Tuesday.

The Athletics (2-6 overall, 2-2 SEC) mustered just four hits and their only run came when Skylar Meyer reached on an error and scored on a double play in the third inning to make it 5-1.

“We couldn’t string hits together and we’ve got to do a little better job of putting the ball in play,” L/P head coach Reid Olson said.

M/C didn’t hit the ball hard against the L/P pitching duo of Michael Lonergan and Matt Kasel as they had just one extra base hit. But they hit often — as 12 of their 13 hits were singles.

The Cougars also had some timely hits as they scored four runs with two outs.

Neither L/P pitcher walked a batter and Kasel, an eighth grader, struck out four while allowing two runs in three innings of relief.

“Matt has done an outstanding job of throwing strikes and eating up some innings for us,” Olson said. “(Lonergan) is a little tired and we need to get him some rest.”

The Cougars started the game of with two straight singles when Lonergan struck out a hitter, but a run to score on a passed ball.

Lonergan came up with another strikeout, but allowed a two-out single to right field to Zach Hoffland that made it 3-0.

“We just didn’t do a very good job of making the plays when we needed to,” Olson said. “We gave them extra outs and they scratched away every inning and notched up a couple of runs.”

Olson is pleased with how some of his younger players are learning the game as the season moves along.

“We’re getting better and we’ve got to keep plugging away and do the best we can,” he said.

M/C 3 1 1 1 0 2 0 — 8 13 2

L/P 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 — 1 4 2

L/P pitching: Michael Lonergan (L), 4 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 K; Matt Kasel, 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 K

L/P hitting: Skylar Meyer, 1-for-4; Carter Guthmiller, 0-for-3; Lonergan, 0-for-3; Joe Lewison, 0-for-3; Aaron Juenger, 0-for-2, BB; Randy Klouse, 2-for-3; Kasel, 1-for-3; Jordan White, 0-for-2; Kyle Meyer, 0-for-1, R; Scott Shapiro, 0-for-3; Sebastian Williams, HBP

M/C pitching: Travis Nichols (W), 6 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 7 K

M/C hitting: Dillon Bergey, 2-for-4, double; Andy Otterness, 4-for-4, 2 RBIs; Nichols, 1-for-4, RBI; Nick Richert, 0-for-4; Zach Hoffland, 2-for-4, 2 RBIs; Jacoby Bigalk, 2-for-4, RBI