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The Lyle-Pacelli baseball team didn’t flinch when it got off to a slow start against Rushford-Peterson.

Instead, the Athletics took a deep breath and rallied back to beat the Trojans (3-4 overall) by a score of 8-4 in Marcusen Park Monday.

L-P trailed 3-0 going into the bottom of the third when the Athletics found their swing. Hunter Wollenburg hustled his way to a lead-off double, Grady Meyer singled and they both scored on an RBI single by Landon Meyer. Hunter VaDeer gave L-P the lead for good when he blasted a two-run homer to left field to go up 4-3.

Wollenburg was hustling from the start on his rally starting hit.

“I saw the opportunity when he dropped the ball. I almost got out, but I slid around the tag,” Wollenburg said. “One thing you really learn when you play for coach Brock (Meyer) is that you’ve got to work hard if you want to play well.”

L-P (5-1 overall) padded its lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning when VaDeer doubled in a run and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dawson Jenkins.

“You’ve just got to put the ball in play. When you put the ball in play, stuff happens,” Jenkins said. “We started out down 3-0 today and sometimes it’s just one hit that changes everything.”

The heart of the order was crucial for L-P as Meyer finished four-for-four with a triple, two doubles, and four RBIs, while VaDeer knocked in three runs. But as L-P continues to progress through the season, it will be performances from players like Jenkins and Wollenburg that make a big difference. 

Wollenburg said it’s easier to improve with leaders like Meyer and VaDeer.

“They’re huge leaders and they make us want to work even harder as a team,” Wollenburg said.

Jenkins, a freshman catcher, added to the momentum when he made a diving catch behind the plate for the first out of the top of the sixth inning. Jenkins has been L-P’s primary catcher early on after playing just a handful of varsity games at catcher last season.

“It’s really honorable,” Jenkins said. “I really enjoy catching and playing baseball in general. I really take every moment I can to perform the best that I can.”

Freshman pitcher Grady Meyer scored the mound win for the Athletics as he scattered nine hits and struck out seven.

Rushford-Peterson 102 000 0  –  4  9   1

 Lyle-Pacelli 004 022 X  –  8  10  2

L-P pitching: Grady Meyer, 7 IP, 9 H, 1 BB, 4 R, 2 ER, 7 K

L-P hitting: Grady Meyer, 1-for-4, R; Landon Meyer, 4-for-4, triple, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 2 R; Hunter VaDeer, 2-for-4, HR, double, 3 RBIs, 2 R; Logyn Brooks, 1-for-3, double; Dawson Jenkins, 0-for-2, RBI; Isaac Small, 0-for-2, BB; Case Koopal, 1-for-3; Hunter Wollenburg, 1-for-3, double, R; Banning Korfhage, 0-for-2, BB, R; Jake Kiker, R