He didn't throw a no-hitter this time against LeRoy-Ostrander/Grand Meadow, but Lyle/Pacelli's Nels Nelson was overpowering Thursday night.

The senior had career-high 16 strikeouts to back up a four-run first inning as No. 2 seed L/P defeated No. 3 seed LOGM 6-3 in Section 1A West semifinal action at Marcusen Park.

"We knew we had to jump on this team early and wear them down," said L/P head coach Steve Baumann. "They're big rivals and we knew they'd be up for this one."

"Those four runs kind of set the tone for the game," Nelson said.

While L/P did jump out to an early lead, it was actually LOGM who drew first blood. Dustin Thorson reached on an infield single and scored one out later on a double down the left-field line by Neal Bucknell. Nelson countered this uprising by striking out the next six.

He would get all the run support he would need in the bottom of the inning anyway, as L/P got its first three runners on with a base hit and a couple of walks. Pete Korfhage came up with the big hit, ripped a double to the gap in right-center that brought home all three runners. T.J. Parlin had an RBI-single one out later to make it a 4-1 game.

When they weren't striking out, the LOGM batters were able to get some offense going. Thorson single-handedly made it 4-2 with another infield hit in the third. He then stole his way to third and scored on a Jake Rowe groundout.

L/P countered with two more in their half of the inning to up the lead to 6-2. Caleb Martin delivered a two-out, two-run single to bring home Nick Ehret, who had doubled, and Parlin, who had walked.

LOGM wasn't ready to call it quits as they plated another run in their next at-bat. Chad Doocy led off with a single and later scored on a balk by Nelson.

That was all the L/P starter was going to give them on this night, as he allowed only one baserunner over the last three innings. Despite allowing three earned runs, Nelson surrendered five hits and no walks to complement 16 strikeouts.

"They were chasing whatever I was throwing them," Nelson said. "My curveball was as good as it's been all year, so I was able to keep them guessing with it and then throw the high heat."

Offensively, L/P was led by Korfhage, who drove in three runs and scored another off of his double. Ehret was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored, while Martin went 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk.

L/P moves on to play top seed Blooming Prairie for the sub-section championship Monday at 1 p.m. at Marcusen.

LOGM starter Doocy had seven strikeouts of his own, but L/P also tagged him for seven hits and all six runs in his four innings of work. Rowe came on to pitch two innings of hitless relief, striking out two.

Thorson paced the top-heavy LOGM offense with two hits and two runs in his three trips to the plate. Bucknell was 1-for-3 with his RBI double, but the bottom five of the batting order went 1-for-15 with 12 strikeouts.

LOGM now heads into the loser's bracket, where they will meet No. 4 seed Glenville-Emmons at 10 a.m. Saturday back at Marcusen.

Linescore:

LOGM1011000--350

L/P402000x--661

Doocy, Rowe (5) and Stejskal; Nelson and Krueger. WP--Nelson. LP--Doocy.