The Post-Bulletin, Austin MN
Randolph took advantage of numerous walks and errors to ruin the home opener for the Lyle/Austin Pacelli baseball team at Marcusen Park.
Big innings were the story for the visiting Randolph Rockets. The non-conference game was close for the first two innings, then Randolph blew it open for a 22-2 win. The game ended via the 10-run rule in the fifth inning.
Michael Lonergan was the starting pitcher for the Lyle/Pacelli Athletics and took the loss. Lonergan ran into control problems in the top of the third, but almost got out of the jam until a costly error on his defense opened the floodgates.
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Only two runs were earned out of the 11 scored by the Rockets in the third inning. Lonergan was done for the day on the hill, but the errors continued and the game got out of hand.
"This was the second straight game in which we had multiple errors," L/P coach Reid Olson said. "All of those defensive mistakes led to the big innings. We just have too many guys simply going through the motions in the field, and they have to start making plays."
After the disastrous top of the third, the Athletics finally scored their first run of the season in the bottom of the frame. A couple of strikeouts started the inning, then Skylar Meyer was hit by a pitch.
Carter Guthmiller, who took on the mound for Lonergan, followed with a single. Cody Meyer then drove in the first run of the season with a single and it was 11-1.
Randolph pitcher Scott Otte next committed a balk to advance the runners. Aaron Juenger was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but the Athletics failed to push across another run.
More problems faced the L/P defense in the fourth inning as errors and walks led to nine runs. The Rockets banged out 17 hits in the lopsided win.
The final run of the day for the L/P boys came in the bottom of the fourth. Joe Lewison got a leadoff single and after two outs were recorded, Kyle Meyer came through with an RBI single.
"We have to go back to square one and try to be competitive in these games," coach Olson said. "The guys have to pick up their effort level."
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Lyle/Pacelli (0-2) is now off until next Saturday when it hosts a tournament at Marcusen Park. The first game is against Alden-Conger at 10 a.m.
NON-CONFERENCE
Randolph 22, Lyle/Pacelli 2
Randolph ....... 00(11) 92 — 22 17 0
Lyle/Pacelli ..... 001 10 — 2 5 9
Randolph:Paul Weidner 3-for-6, 3 runs, 3 RBI; Ethan Kuehn 5-for-5, walk, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Nick Mcintee 2-for-4, walks, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Jason May 1-for-2, 2B, 2 runs, RBI. WP: Scott Otte 5 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 HB, 5 K; SP: Phil Otto 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 K.
Lyle/Pacelli:Cody Meyer 2-for-3, 2B, RBI; Carter Guthmiller 1-for-2, walk; Shawn Shapiro 0-for-1, HBP, run; Aaron Juenger 0-for-0, HBP, walk; Joe Lewison 1-for-3, run; Kyle Meyer 1-for-2, RBI. LP: Michael Lonergan 2 2/3 IP, 11 R, 2 ER, 7 H, 5 BB, 1 K; RP: Guthmiller 1 IP, 9 R, 8 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 2 K; Kenneth Gray 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K.
