The day started off badly for the Lyle/Pacelli softball team.

Friday, April 28, 2000

The day started off badly for the Lyle/Pacelli softball team. It ended, however, in fine fashion with a road sweep of the Rushford-Peterson Trojans, 7-6 and 11-2.

"We had a mixup and made a wrong turn on the way there," L/P coach Tom Clements said. "We then fell behind 6-0 in the first game, not playing Lyle/Pacelli softball."

Things finally started to get back on track when L/P scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning.

It was the first of three five-run innings on the day for L/P. L/P used six singles, four straight with two out, and a couple of R-P errors to put the five-spot on the board. L/P had a total of 10 hits in the game.

In the top of the sixth, L/P scored the tying and winning runs. Nicole Emiliusen (2-for-2 with a RBI) smacked a one-out single. She advanced to second on a fly out and scored on a hard grounder off the bat of Kari Leif ( 2-for-4, RBI) that resulted in an error. Leif ended up at second. Then Buffy Judd (1-of-3, two RBI) was walked. She raced to first base and kept on running, getting into a rundown. Leif took off for third forcing a throw. The third baseman couldn’t handle that throw and Leif came home for the winning run.

Melissa Ehret picked up the win.

She gave up three earned runs on seven hits and three walks. She struck out seven.

"I’m really pleased with the way we fought back in the game," Clements said.

In the second game, the L/P bats had some power behind them with Erin Evans hitting a three-run home run and Jessie Schnieder a two-run double. Those hits were a part of a nine-hit attack. Evans’ big bang was part of a five-run first and Schnieder’s a part of a five-run fourth.

"There was no 200-foot fence there," Clements said. "Evans hit would have easily cleared it. The ball rolled all the way to the 300-foot fence. I knew she had a triple. I waved her home and she was safe at the plate."

Amy Bickler got the win. She didn’t allow an earned run in 5 1/3 innings of pitching. She gave up one hit and walked seven while striking out seven. Ehret got the last two outs of the game with one strike out.

L/P (6-2, 6-0 in the Southeast Conference) travels to Fillmore Central/Lanesboro on Monday before hosting Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander on Thursday at Todd Park.