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The fourth matchup of the season against Southland proved to be the most difficult one for the Lyle-Pacelli baseball team, which had to make up for an early deficit to stave off elimination and beat the Rebels 7-5 in a Section 1A elimination game in Seltz Field Monday.

The Rebels (17-7 overall) had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the sixth, but L-P pitcher Cole Walter forced Jonas Wiste and Travis Kirtz to ground out to end the threat and preserve the lead at 6-5.

L-P’s start against the Rebels looked a lot like their start against Hayfield, where they allowed nine first inning runs. Southland pounded out five first inning hits to go up 5-0 as Nick Boe crushed a two-run homer to start the surge on the third at-bat of the game.

Walter rebounded from that slow start to pitch six scoreless innings to give his team a chance.

“We knew that if we played our game, the better team would win,” Walter said. “After that five-run first inning, we had to be relaxed and I had to pick some guys up, because I could see their chins were dropping a bit.”

The Athletics struck back with five runs of their own in the third inning. Hunter VaDeer drove in the go-ahead with an RBI double that made it 6-5 L-P.

Sam Nelsen got the Athletics (20-3 overall) back in the game in the third inning when he hammered a two-run single and then scored on a single by Jed Nelson.

“It was a battle today. We’re lucky we’re still playing baseball,” Walter said. “We didn’t have a good day and we didn’t hit the ball very well,” Walter said. “We didn’t make a few plays that we usually do. It was a tough day of baseball.”

L-P will take on Hayfield again in the Section 1A title game at Seltz Field at 5 p.m. Thursday. L-P will have to win twice to get to state.

Southland beat Wabasha-Kellogg 15-1 in an elimination game to start the day.

Southland 500  000 0 — 5 8 0

LP 105  001 X — 7 6 1

LP pitching: Cole Walter, 6 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 5 ER, 4 K

LP hitting: Cole Walter, 1-for-3, RBI, BB, R, SB; Zach Bollingberg, 3-for-4, R, 2 SB; Sam Nelsen, 1-for-3, BB, 2 RBIs, SB, R; Jed Nelson, 1-for-1, 2 RBIs, R, BB, SB; Hunter VaDeer, 1-for-2, double, RBI, BB; Mac Nelson, 0-for-3; Jake Truckenmiller, 0-for-2, BB; Jayden Lewis, 1-for-3, double; Landon Meyer, 0-for-2, BB, R

Southland pitching: Harrison Hanna, 2 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 4 ER, 3 K; Travis Kirtz (L) 4 IP 6 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 6 K

Southland hitting: Alec Bissen, 1-for-4, R; James Mullenbach, 0-for-4; Nick Boe, 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs, R, BB; Dan Boe, 0-for-4; Eli Wolff, 0-for-2, BB, SB, R; Gavin Nelsen, 2-for-3, SB, RBI, R; Harrison Hanna, 3-for-3, double, RBI, R; Jonas Wiste, 1-for-3, RBI; Travis Kirtz, 0-for-3