Class 2A No. 6 Lisbon welcomed No. 15 (1A) Edgewood-Colesburg to Bunting Field at Lisbon City Park on Thursday, June 20.
After the first game, the Lions were like the coyote in the cartoon after it ran face-first into a wall.
Flattened and forgotten. Losing 12-0 in just three innings.
“That’s never easy, to lose after three innings,” junior Kaitlynn Hasselbusch said. “But we really trust each other and our team. We have the confidence in each other.”
The Lions scraped themselves off the road, and bounced back to beat the Vikings, 3-1, in the nightcap.
“We came together as a group and just did what we do best,” junior Sarah Dietsch said.
It earned Lisbon (21-8, 14-4) a meaningful split.
“Every opportunity you have to make a play, you’ve got to find a way to make it,” Lisbon coach Abby Shultz said. “If you don’t, then you have to find a way to bounce back.”
That first game was a rough one. The Vikings had 14 hits in just three innings, with eight of nine batters recording at least one hit. Audrie Helmrich led the way, hitting 3-for-3 with a double, home run and four RBIs.
On the flip side, EdCo pitcher Rachel Eglseder faced the minimum, going through the Lisbon order just once, striking out six. The other outs were infield pop-ups and a ground out to the pitcher.
“We really enjoy tough games because it preps us for the end of the season,” Dietsch said. “And we learned a lot tonight.”
“We came back the second game knowing they were going to have fire, because they are a good team, and they can hit the ball,” Hasselbusch said. “We needed to match that and came back with more.”
After the necessary postgame huddle and a few minutes to rehydrate on a hot night, the Lions were ready for Game 2.
Eighth-grade pitcher Kyla Kahl was back on the mound, despite getting chased in the first game. But the lineup was shaken up a little bit.
The defense came up big early. Dietsch picked off runners trying to steal second base in the first inning and fourth inning. A relay from left fielder Addi Petersen to shortstop Kamryn Kahl nailed a Viking runner at the plate in the second inning.
And the Lions got out of the fifth inning thanks to a line drive to Kyla Kahl she tossed to first for a double play.
Third baseman Chloe Clausen allowed a runner on with an error to start the sixth inning, but finished off the same inning with a remarkable scoop and throw.
“That’s what we talked about,” Shultz said. “Bouncing back. Never let an error stop you.”
“They hit the ball super well,” Hasselbusch said. “I think most of the time we did what we could and made some really good effort plays.”
Kyla Kahl earned a one-out walk in the third inning. Addi Petersen reached on a single. Then, with two outs, Hasselbusch hit a two-run double, followed by an RBI double by Brianna Turkington. Those three runs held up.
“We came into the game knowing we had to get our bats going right away,” Hasselbusch said. “I think that’s what we did. Most of us got a hit. Some things didn’t go our way, but that happens every game. When you get hits, it makes results.”
After getting no-hit in the opener, the Lions responded with seven hits in the nightcap.
“We knew what we had to fix,” Dietsch said. “One thing we do well, is we come back from our mistakes. We really came together as a team, and that’s all we can ask for.”
Lisbon opened the week with a Tri-Rivers sweep at East Buchanan, 13-0 and 15-2. They closed it with a successful trip to the two-day Bobcat Classic in Marshalltown. The Lions beat BCLUW, 9-6, Grundy Center, 9-8, and Marshalltown, 9-4, and lost to No. 5 (3A) Davenport Assumption, 10-5.
The postseason is creeping up, however.
“In two weeks, nothing is guaranteed,” Schultz said. “So, we better start acting like it now.”
GAME ONE
Edgewood-Colesburg 156 – 12 14 2
Lisbon 000 – 0 0 0
Rachel Eglseder and Audrie Helmrichs; Kyla Kahl, Addi Petersen (2) and Sara Dietsch. W – Eglseder. L – Kahl. 2B – Kaitlyn Hahn (EC), Audrie Helmrichs (EC), McKenna Hoefer (EC). HR – Audrie Helmrichs (EC).
GAME TWO
Edgewood-Colesburg 000 010 0 – 1 8 1
Lisbon 003 000 X – 3 7 1
Chloe Everett, Rachel Eglseder (4) and Audrie Helmrichs; Kyla Kahl and Sarah Dietsch. W – Kahl. L – Everett. 2B – McKenna Hoefer (EC), Marin Gaul 2 (EC), Kaitlynn Hasselbusch (L), Brianna Turkington (L), Alexa Roos (L), Chloe Clausen (L).