Lakeville South Girls Threaten No. 1 Burnsville, But Can't Score the Upset

Lakeville South threw a scare – several of them actually – into top-ranked Burnsville Thursday.

In a tense South Suburban Conference softball game Thursday, the Burnsville Blaze made some mistakes, but got clutch hits and pitching and key defensive stops when they needed them. As a result the Blaze claimed a 3-1 win over visiting Lakeville South.

Burnsville improved to 8-0 on the season and 7-0 in the conference.

Lakeville South’s Cougars fell to 3-4 in both conference and all games.

Burnsville rallied from a 1-0 deficit with two runs in the bottom of the second, and then added an insurance run in the fifth.

Burnsville’s Megan Lehnen and Kelsey Anderson opened the second with back-to-back singles. Abby Harazin knocked in Lehnen with a fielder’s choice out at first, and then Megan Threlkeld scored courtesy runner Erica Belter to make it a 2-1 Blaze advantage.

The game was one of missed opportunities for Lakeville South, and knockout pitching by Burnsville’s Kelsey Anderson when the game was on the line several times.  Lakeville South advanced runners to scoring position in the first, second, third and fifth innings, none of which crossed the plate.

Lakeville South opened the game with a run in the first.  Molly Olson singled and scored on a hit by Kendall Palfi. The Cougars then loaded the bases with only one out.  But Anderson got two strike outs to get out of the inning.

That set the pattern for the game. Lakeville South consistently put runners in scoring position only to watch Anderson consistently pitch her way out of trouble.

In the third, for example, Lakeville South’s Lindsay Uphoff reached on an error and went to third on a double by Taylor Donnelly.  Anderson proceeded to strike out the next two Lakeville South batters.

Burnsville added a big run in the bottom of the fifth as Threlkeld singled and then scored two outs later on a triple by Laura Nadeau.

Anderson got the win, allowing seven hits but only one earned run. She walked just two while striking out 13.

Burnsville’s Threlkeld was 1-for-2 with a RBI. Nadeau was  1-for-3 with a RBI, while Danielle Wolk, Lauren Smith, Lehnen and Anderson were each 1-for-3.

Lakeville South senior pitcher Kendall Palfi went 2-for-4 and drove in Lakeville South’s run in the first inning. Taylor Donnelly and Kylie Stoberg were each 2-for-3.

Palfi took the loss, allowing three runs, all of them earned. She struck out seven and walked none.

Burnsville has another big game Monday as the Blaze plays at No. 6 Bloomington Jefferson (5-2, 9-2) in a game starting at 4:15 p.m.

Lakeville South hosts Apple Valley (1-4, 2-4) Friday, April 29, in a rescheduled game starting at 4:15 p.m.