Athletics pound Hurricanes in playoff opener
Published 8:43 pm Monday, May 31, 2021
Lyle-Pacelli’s Sam Nelsen trots home to score a run. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Jayden Lewis launches a fly ball for Lyle-Pacelli. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Hunter VaDeer fires a pitch for the Athletics against Houston in Marcusen Park Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Cole Walter makes solid contact for Lyle-Pacelli against Houston in Marcusen Park Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Lyle-Pacelli’s Jed Nelson connects on a pitch for a double against Houston in a Section 1A Tournament opener in Marucsen Park Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@asutindailyherald.com
Lyle-Pacelli’s Zach Bollingberg makes the throw from second against Houston In Marcusen Park Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The No. 2 seeded Lyle-Pacelli baseball team had to sit through an hour rain delay, but it couldn’t damper their spirits as the Athletics blasted No. 15 Houston 23-0 in five innings in a Section 1A Tournament opener at Marcusen Park Monday.
The Hurricanes (0-21 overall) committed 13 errors and L-P bashed 13 hits, while limiting Houston to just one hit. Sam Nelsen had a pair of RBIs and scored three times for L-P (17-2 overall).
“Rain delays are always fun,” said Nelsen. “We were joking around in the locker room and we all had our team eye black on. We stayed loose and focused on what we needed to do.”
L-P used Zach Bollingberg, Cole Walter, Jed Nelson and Hunter VaDeer on the mound and all four will be available when the Athletics take on No. 7 Rushford-Peterson at Riverland Community College at 5 p.m. Thursday. The Section 1A Tournament is now in the double elimination round and continues with a slate of games set for Saturday.
“We know the competition is going to ramp up,” Bollingberg said. “It’s nice that we didn’t lose anybody to pitch counts today and we’ll have everybody. Hopefully we can keep pitch counts down on Thursday so we’ll be ready for the weekend.”
Bollingberg struck out two in the top of the first inning to get the win and also knocked in a run and scored three runs. He said that L-P had to come out swinging, especially since they were heavy favorites.
“It was the first playoff game of our senior year and we’re ready for this playoff run,” Bollingberg said. “We knew we couldn’t just go out and lay an egg today, even with the opponent that we were playing. We had to throw strikes and hit the ball.”
Houston 000 00 — 0 1 13
Lyle-Pacelli 3 12 3 5 X — 23 13 0
L-P pitching: Zach Bollingberg (W) 1 IP, 0 R, 2 K; Cole Walter, 1 IP, 0 R, 2 K; Jed Nelson, 1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 0 R, 2 K; Hunter VaDeer, 2 IP, 3 BB, 0 R, 4 K
L-P hitting: Walter, 2-for-5, double, RBI, 4 R, 2 SB; Zach Bollingberg, 1-for-4, RBI, 3 R, SB, BB; Sam Nelsen, 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, 3 R, HBP; Jed Nelson, 1-for-4, double, 2 RBIs, 3 R, BB, SB; Hunter VaDeer, 1-for-3, double, RBI, 2 R, HBP, BB; Mac Nelson, 1-for-3, RBI, R, 2 BBs; Jake Truckenmiller, 2-for-5, double, RBI; Jayden Lewis, 3-for-5, double, 3 R, SB; Landon Meyer, 1-for-3, double, 2 R, BB, RBI
