GLENVILLE -- Splitting a doubleheader with Glenville-Emmons on Thursday, the Lyle/Austin Pacelli softball lost for the first time this season.
G-E won the opener 8-4 and Lyle/Pacelli came back to win the late game 9-2. The setback in the opener was the first Southeast Conference loss in two seasons for the L/P girls.
"We scored three runs right away and then backed off, you can't do that against a good team," L/P coach Tom Clements said of the loss. "It's very difficult to go undefeated in the conference like we did last year, because the competition is so evened out and teams are gunning for us. But we're still sitting in the driver's seat."
L/P pitcher Amy Bickler had four strikeouts and two walks in the opener. But Bickler was tagged for 12 hits and allowed four earned runs in the loss.
Offensively for L/P in the opener, Michelle Mino went 2-for-3, Bickler was 2-for-2, and Bri Enfield went 2-for-3 with a double. L/P was 4-0 in the SEC coming into this game, but a week-and-a-half layoff left them vulnerable for an upset.
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"We've just been practicing too much and not playing games, so we were rusty and it showed," Clements said. "It was nice to see the girls bounce back in the second game. They started hitting the ball well and cut down on the mental mistakes."
L/P scored in every at-bat of the late game and cruised to a lopsided win. Louise Mudra was 3-for-4, Bickler had two hits with a pair of RBIs, Enfield was 3-for-4 with two RBI, and Suzie Rayman went 3-4 with three RBIs in the late game win.
Bickler allowed just four hits in the win with six strikeouts and three walks, and only one earned run in the late game.
"The wind affected her pitching; so Amy had to rely on the rise ball because the drop ball wasn't working," Clements concluded. "I told the girls that Lyle/Pacelli doesn't lose two games in a row, and they came back and proved me correct."
L/P softball (5-1 overall, 5-1 SEC) hosts Southland in a makeup doubleheader on Monday in Lyle and then plays Spring Grove/Caledonia on Tuesday at Todd Park in Austin.
Game 1
Lyle/Pacelli 301 000 -- 4 9 3
; Glenville-Emmons 300 32x -- 8 12 2
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; Bickler and R.Mino, J.Clausen and Yost
2B -- LP, Bickler, Enfield; GE, Avery, Yost.
Game 2
Glenville-Emmons 000 002 -- 2 4 1
; Lyle/Pacelli 112 14x -- 9 14 3
; Clausen and Yost; Bickler and R.Mino.
HR -- GE, Avery.
