One bad inning once again a problem for Lisle

The Lisle softball team had plenty of highlights Friday against visiting Reed-Custer. The problem was there weren't enough of them, and the Comets went home 5-2 winners.

Again, one bad inning did in the Lions (2-13, 2-8 in Interstate Eight North). Reed-Custer scored 4 runs on 4 hits in the third inning to take a 4-0 advantage.

"We need to eliminate that one bad inning. It's been that way all season," said Lisle coach Jen Pomatto. "We struck out 13 times and that can't happen."

The Lions though made sure that the Comets (8-10, 4-6 Interstate Eight South) didn't get comfortable with their lead. Lisle got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the fourth when Jen Cail doubled to right. She moved to second on Anna Palicka's sacrifice bunt and scored on Bella Daly's groundball to the first baseman.

Lisle made it a 4-2 game in the sixth. With one out Daly singled to center, moved to second on Julia Ullmann's infield hit and scored on Melissa Ericson's single to center.

But that wasn't all of the Lions offense. Cail walked and Ullmann singled for her first hit of the game in the second. In the fifth Megan Carlson walked, Catherine Coppin doubled and Ericson reached on a fielding error. After Daly scored in the sixth, Ullmann and Ericson reached second and third. The final inning saw Carlson hit a single and Cail walk.

All of these runners were left on base.

"We had baserunners and put pressure on them. But we did not capitalize with runners on scoring position," Pomatto said.

Lisle finished the afternoon with 7 hits.

Reed-Custer coach Ramsey Harkness was glad for his team's big inning as the Comets got just 3 hits combined the other four innings.

"All season we've come up short on the clutch hits and it's good we got the clutch hits today," he said. "(Lisle starting pitcher Palicka) did some inside-outside on us which gave us some trouble."

Lisle returns to action Monday at Coal City. Just two weeks are left in the regular season before the start of regional competition for the Lions and Pomatto said she encouraged her team in the postgame meeting to aim for a strong showing to wrap up the season.

"I see good things. Even when mistakes are made, people are picking each other up. Pitchers are doing what they need to do. We're getting hits. This was not a bad game. We just left runners on base," Pomatto said.