The Southland Rebels got some top-notch pitching and made the most of their scoring opportunities to sweep Lyle/Pacelli at Marcusen Park on Monday.

Tuesday, April 18, 2000

The Southland Rebels got some top-notch pitching and made the most of their scoring opportunities to sweep Lyle/Pacelli at Marcusen Park on Monday.

Southland picked up a 4-2 win in game one and a 5-4 win in game two.

Southland’s Syd Schramm and L/P’s Jason Helgeson were in a pitchers duel in the first game. Each struck out 11 in the game. Six of 11 of Schramm’s strikeouts were on called third strikes.

"My fastball was working today," Schramm said.

The Rebels put three runs on the board in the fourth inning to go up 4-0. The three-run rally was helped by a misplay of a fly ball. Mark Mauer singled to score the first run and Todd Osmundson stroked a single for two more runs.

L/P struck back with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Josh Kunze singled to start off the inning. Phil Halbach then hit a grounder back to Schramm. Schramm then made his only bad throw of the game to second for an error putting runners on first and second. A single by Jared Koopal scored Kunze and one out later Halbach scored on a ground out to second off the bat of T.J. Parlin. A ground out was also the third out of the inning.

Schramm then finished off the game in style, striking out the last four batters he faced. The first being Kunze with a man on in the bottom of the fifth.

"I threw a curveball there," Schramm said.

It got Kunze looking.

L/P’s Dean DeBoer and Southland’s Joel Menuey got the starts in game two. They both gave up an unearned run in the first inning. Southland then went up 3-1 with two runs in the bottom of the third. The first scored on a wild pitch and the second on a double by Mark Mauer. L/P picked up a solo run in the top of the fourth. Joey Stadheim slashed an RBI single.

Cyle Erie relieved Menuey at the start of the fifth inning. He got L/P to go 1-2-3 with two strike outs. In the bottom of the inning, Southland added two insurance runs for him.

Schramm smacked an one-out double, moved to second on a walk and to third on a force out.

With two down and runners on the corners, Southland coach Larry Luke went for the double steal. The pitch was strike two on the batter, but the L/P defense folded.

"We got a little fancy there," L/P co-coach Steve Baumann said. "Our shortstop fell asleep and wasn’t there to cut off the throw and Kunze (the catcher) threw to where he was playing."

"I didn’t think I would be able to score from first," Mauer said, "but I hustled all the way and when I was waved in I knew I had it."

L/P rallied one last time in the top of the sixth. Jared Koopal started out the inning by getting on base on an error. Halbach then doubled him in. After a walk, Luke took Erie out and brought in Mauer.

"This was the first time I pitched this year," Mauer said. "I was used to the situation though. I was the second or third pitcher in last year and threw a number of innings."

Mauer struck out the first batter he faced, but a wild pitch put runners on second and third. A ground out by Nels Nelson scored Halbach. Helgeson then smacked one on Mauer’s first offering, but it went right at center fielder Kevin Snyder, who caught it for the final out.

L/P (1-5, 0-4) is off until a week from Thursday when they travel to Rushford-Peterson. Southland (4-1, 4-0) travels to Hayfield on Thursday.

"We are gaining confidence with this 4-0 conference start," Mauer said.