Linn-Mar scored nine runs in the sixth innings of Thursday's opener to erase a 5-1 deficit and roared past Prairie, 11-5, in a Mississippi Valley Conference softball doubleheader.

The Lions took the nightcap, 5-2.

Prairie (11-21, 5-17) put three runs on the board in the first inning of the opener, highlighted by an RBI double by Mackenzie Blaha and a run-scoring single by Aly O’Brian.  O’Brian added an RBI single in the third that gave the Hawks a 5-0 lead.

And then Linn-Mar (14-22, 7-15) blew up Prairie starter Katie Kuck. The Lions finished with 15 hits. Kortlan Olinger was 3-of-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Alexis Kelsey also had three hits.

“I knew we could come back,” said Kelsey, an eighth grader who also was the winning pitcher. “We’ve done that before.”

“We came determined tonight and we all stepped it up and played well," Olinger said.

O’Brian, a sophomore, was 4-for-4 and Katie Carver and Blaha each had a pair of hits for Prairie.

“It really felt good at the plate tonight, but I am just trying to get on and score for the team,” said O’Brian.  "I kind of knew I had a lot of hits, but I just concentrated on each pitch.”

Linn-Mar had another eighth grader in the circle in the nightcap and Lauren Swanson scattered seven hits through the first six innings. She had a shutout heading into the seventh, but Prairie collected three hits and scored twice.

Ellie Rizor, Maggie Rizor, Leandra Martins, Olinger and Kelsey all had two hits for the Linn-Mar. Olinger drove in a pair of runs.

Taylor Stecklein led the Prairie attack with three hits and Katie Wieland and O’Brian each had two hits.  O’Brian had six hits in the twinbill.

GAME ONE

LINN-MAR (11)
L. Harms, ss, 5 0 1 1, Duggan, 2b, 4 2 2 0, E. Rizor, c, 5 1 2 1, Kelsey, p, 5 2 3 1, Olinger, lf, 5 3 3 1, Martins, cf, 3 1 0 0, M. Rizor, 1b, 4 1 1 2, Swanson, 3b, 2 0 0 0, J. Harms, ph, 1 1 1 1, Yearling, rf, 4 0 2 0. Totals 40 11 15 3

PRAIRIE (5)
Crist, c, 3 1 1 0, T. Stecklein, 2b, 4 1 0 0, Wieland, ss, 4 0 1 1, Blaha, lf, 4 2 2 1, Carver, cf, 4 1 2 0, O’Brian, 1b, 4 0 4 2, Lash, 3b, 4 0 0 0, Kuch, p, 1 0 0 0, Mumaw, cr, 0 0 0 0, Lueck, p, 1 0 0 0, A. Stecklein, 3b, 3 0 0 0.  Totals 32 5 10 6.

Linn-Mar       000 109 1 -- 11  15
Prairie          302 000 0 --  5   10

Kelsey and E. Rizor.  Kuch, Lueck (6) and Crist.  W – Kelsey  L – Kuch. 2B - Kelsey, Blaha (2), Carver.  SB - E. Rizor, Crist, T. Stecklein, Carver, O’Brian


GAME TWO

LINN-MAR (5)
L. Harms, ss, 3 0 0 0, Duggan, 2b, 4 1 1 0, E. Rizor, c, 4 2 2 0, Kelsey, p, 4 1 2 1, Olinger, lf, 4 1 2 2, Martins, cf, 4 0 2 0, M. Rizor, 1b, 4 0 2 1, Harbert, pr, 0 0 0 0, Swanson, 3b, 4 0 0 0, Yearling, rf, 2 0 0 0. Totals 33 5 11 1

PRAIRIE (2)
Crist, c, 4 1 1 0, T. Stecklein, 2b, 4 0 3 0, Wieland, ss, 3 0 2 2, Blaha, lf, 4 0 0 0, Carver, cf, 3 0 0 0, O’Brian, dh, 3 0 2 0, A. Stecklein, 3b, 0 0 0 0 Frederick, 1b, 2 0 1 0, Lash, rf, 3 0 0 0, Baetsle, p, 3 1 0 0, Mumaw, cr, 0 1 0 0.  Totals 29 2 10 2.

Linn-Mar      011 020 1 -- 5  11
Prairie         000 000 2 -- 2  10

Swanson and Yearling.  Baetsle and Crist.  W – Swanson.  L- Baetsle.  2B - E. Rizor, Olinger, Wieland, O’Brian.