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Ben Nelson goes through a pitch in Marcusen Park Friday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Lyle-Pacelli's Isaac Nelsen just misses on catching on a fly ball in right field. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Jack Klingfus hurls a pitch for Lyle-Pacelli. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

The Hayfield baseball team came out a little awestruck against the top team in Class A, but the Vikings found their comfort zone and eventually walked away with a 13-7 win over the Athletics in Marcusen Park Friday.

After making three costly fielding mistakes and going hitless in the first inning, the Vikings found their swing with a six-run second inning that saw Eric Bermea and Jack Thoe each double in two runs.

“I think we’re a pretty good team and I know they’re a good team. Some of these guys don’t trust how good they are,” Hayfield head coach Kasey Krekling said. “We had a big crowd and they were scared. We had a pop up that we didn’t catch it and we were quiet and that’s not us. Once we got over the fact that we were playing the number one team in the state, we played like ourselves. It was an interesting game and I’m glad we were able to do some things well.”

L-P (16-2 overall) didn’t have any of its top three pitchers due to pitch count rules, but they were able to strike first as Hunter VaDeer doubled in a pair of runs. L-P led 4-0 after the first inning.

While the deficit was a tough way to start the game, the Vikings (14-6 overall) didn’t get down on themselves.

“We’re a solid team that’s going to put the bat on the ball,” said Thoe, who scored the pitching win, while going three-for-three with two RBIs. “We’ve improved so much this year and I was confident that we’d come back.”

Corbin Krueger came up big for Hayfield when he doubled in three runs on a deep shot to center field to make it 10-6 in the top of the fourth. 

Bermea said the entire team had its confidence back after the unfortunate first inning.

“We weren’t all there mentally in the first inning,” he said. “We just had to get the dugout going and then we were going to play better. We came out disciplined and we fought every at bat.”

Hayfield sophomore Ben Nelson gave Hayfield solid pitching in relief as he struck out five, while allowing just one unearned run in three innings of work.

“He’s thrown two JV no hitters and he looked really good on varsity last week,” Krekling said. “I knew he’d come to compete. He had two older brothers Zach and Brady who were really good for us and he was pretty good today.”

Hayfield 061  301  2  –  13  9  3

Lyle-Pacelli 411  001  0  –    7 11  2

Hayfield pitching: Jack Thoe (W) 4 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 6 R, 3 ER, 4 K; Ben Nelson (S) 3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 K. 

Hayfield hitting: Aidan Nelson, 0-for-5, SB, R; Hunter Simonson, 0-for-2, BB, SB, R, RBI, HBP; Eric Bermea, 1-for-3, double, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs; Isaac Nelson, 2-for-4, 3 R, HBP, SB; Corbin Krueger, 1-for-4, double, 3 RBIs, BB; Rylan Nelsen, 0-for-2, RBI, R, SB; Kael Steele, 2-for-3, RBI, R, BB, SB; Nic Larson, 1-for-3, 2 R; Jack Thoe, 3-for-3, double, 2 RBIs, 2 R

LP pitching: Jack Klingfus (L) 1 ⅓ IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 R, 4 ER; Landon Meyer, 5 ⅓ IP, 6 H, 7 BB, 8 R, 6 ER, 5 K; Grady Meyer, ⅓ IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K

LP hitting: Landon Meyer, 1-for-4, RBI, 2 R; Logyn Brooks, 2-for-3, R, BB, 2 SB; Hunter VaDeer, 1-for-4, triple, 2 RBIs; Isaac Nelsen, 1-for-2, triple, HBP, 2 BBs, 2 R; Dane Schara, 2-for-4, double, 3 RBIs; Isaac Small, 1-for-3, R, BB; Dawson Jenkins, 0-for-4; Grady Meyer, 1-for-4