Lisbon takes step toward ultimate goal

LISBON - The Lisbon Lions are poised for an extended postseason run.

The first step was tougher than expected, but they are still moving in the right direction.

Lisbon beat Bellevue Marquette for the third time this season, earning a 4-1 victory in the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 1A District 9 quarterfinal last night at City Park.

'It was a little tighter than we wanted it to be,” Lisbon's winning pitcher Connor Woodward said. 'We really want to go as long as we think we can and we think we can make a long trip.”

The Lions are set on traveling the road to Des Moines for the 1A state tournament. The goal is to return to where the trek began with some hardware.

'We want to win (state),” Woodward said. 'We think we have the ability and plan on doing it.”

They overcame a challenge from Marquette. Lisbon Coach Ryan Stensland said both teams played well, and the Lions benefitted from a strong unified effort.

'We told them it was a great team victory,” Stensland said. 'We played great team baseball. We're moving on and I think these guys will be ready to play Thursday.”

The Lions (27-11) are a close-knit group, resembling a family, according to Stensland. They are motivated to help each other succeed.

'They are like brothers,” said Stensland, noting the roster does include some siblings. 'They have ups and downs. They find a way to come through.”

Lisbon took the lead when Woodward reached on an error to start the first. The Lions went up, 1-0, when Keegan Tritle reached on an error later in the frame.

Woodward, who tossed a complete game and gave up six hits, put Lisbon up for good, knocking an RBI single that scored Hunter Robinson in the fifth. He knew the importance of capitalizing on the scoring chance.

'I just wanted to get that lead,” said Woodward, who is now 8-4. 'We knew momentum-wise, it would be a big difference, going from tied to being up by one.”

Lisbon pulled away in the sixth when Tritle walked and scored and Ryan Schrantz had an RBI single. Ryan Light also had a triple and a sacrifice.

'These guys rallied around each other,” Stensland said. 'We scratched a couple runs across and that was it.”

Lisbon will host Highland (18-13) in a district semifinal Thursday. The Lions beat the Huskies, 11-0, earlier this season. Lisbon will go back to work immediately.

'We have to make some adjustments and get ready for them,” Stensland said. 'They are a good ballclub.

'It will be a good challenge for us.”

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