Injuries finally caught up to Lyle/Pacelli as it dropped an elimination game in the first round of the West Subsection 1A softball playoffs in Todd Park Thursday.

The Athletics (4-15 overall) played without injured starters Danni Felten and Breanna Fouts in the 12-11 eight inning loss to Medford.

L/P had runners on second and third with no outs in the bottom of the eighth, but Danni Bilidt was called for interference running from second to third on a ground ball by Haley Meyer and Meyer was thrown out at third on an RBI-single by Schyler Douglas.

“We made some mental baserunning errors that hurt us,” L/P head coach Denny Bray said.

The Tigers (2-17 overall) took the lead in the eight inning when Kasey Grunewald drilled an RBI double and Ashley Loken knocked in a run with a single.

No. 7 seeded L/P had led 10-7, but Medford scored once in the sixth and twice in the seventh on a two-run single by pinch hitter Breea Pleschourt.

While the Athletics were missing two starters, Meyer and pitcher Emily Rysavy were also playing with injuries and since Fouts and Felten were L/P’s only two pitchers besides Rysavy, Bray had to leave his starter in longer than he would’ve liked.

“I would’ve pulled her out in the fifth if I would’ve had another pitcher,” Bray said. “They were starting to tag it.”

The injuries also forced L/P to start outfielder Jena Helmbrect at short stop after the senior was coming off a two week illness.

The Athletics showed some heart early on as they fell behind 6-0 in the first, but battled back to take a 10-7 lead after Helmbrect and Rysavy each had RBI singles in a four-run fifth.

“We never quit all season long. The first inning always hurt us, sometimes big time, but we’d always come back,” Bray said.

Bray said he will miss his three seniors, Rysavy, who was 3-for-5; Douglas, who was 4-for-5; and Helmbrect, who was 1-for-3.

“Schyler Douglas had a great season with no errors while hitting over .300,” Bray said. “Schyler’s been really good this year and when she first came up she couldn’t catch or throw the ball. It’s kind of neat to see those things.”

Medford lost to Randolph 12-0 and will now play in the loser’s bracket.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E

M 6 0 0 1 0 1 2 2 12 10 2

LP 4 0 2 0 4 0 0 1 11 14 4

L/P pitching: Emily Rysavy (L), 8 IP, 10 H, 5 BB, 12 R, 11 ER, 10 K, 2 HBP

L/P hitting: Rysavy, 3-for-5, RBI, R, 4 SB; Danni Bilidt, 0-for-3, RBI, BB; Haley Meyer, 2-for-5, 2 R; Schyler Douglas, 4-for-5, RBI, 3 R; Paige Smith, 3-for-4, 2 RBIs, 2 R; Ashley Hinz, 1-for-4, RBI; Audrey Ferris, 1-for-4, 2 RBIs, R; Mindy Nguyen, 0-for-4; Jena Helmbrect, 1-for-3, RBI, R

Medford pitching: Kasey Grunewald (W), 8 IP, 14 H, BB, 11 ER, 3 K

Medford hitting: Chelsea Morgan, 0-for-4; Kiley Swanson, 0-for-2, 2 BBs; Sierra Krause, 2-for-4, double; Connie Arnold, 0-for-3, 2 RBIs; Grunewald, 2-for-5, 3 RBIs; Nicole Morgan, 2-for-5, double; Kirsta Krogh, 2-for-3, RBI; Gillian Needham, 0-for-4, RBI; Breea Pleschourt, 1-for-1, RBI