The day started badly for Lawrence High’s baseball team because of cold temperatures and rain.

It quickly worsened when the Lions spotted visiting Blue Valley North a nine-run lead Saturday. Lawrence rallied, but BVN held on for an 11-7 win at Ice Field.

“You can’t give anyone nine runs and expect to win,” said a discouraged LHS coach David Petry, whose squad slipped to 4-4 on the season with its third straight setback.

Petry said his team wasn’t prepared for BV North from the beginning.

“We didn’t show up to play today,” he said. “I think that was evident from the time we got here, through batting practice, through the infield we took in pregame.

“I don’t know when we started swinging the bats, but by that time it was 9-0, and it was too late.”

Petry probably didn’t remember the Lions’ five-run sixth inning because BV North plated six runs in the third to break open a scoreless game.

The Mustangs lit up LHS starter Brett McBride for six runs on seven hits in the third.

BV North’s Sam Reed, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, provided the inning’s biggest highlight with a two-run triple.

The Lions, who suffered a lopsided loss to rival Free State on Tuesday, finally scored in the fifth.

Paul Johnson, who walked, scored on Brian Heere’s double. Heere then crossed home on Courtney Hutchison’s base hit.

Lawrence High's Carl Lisher delivers a pitch in the fifth inning of the Lions' 11-7 loss to Blue Valley North. The Lions rallied, but came up short Saturday at Ice Field.

The two scores provided little relief, because BV North added two runs in the top half of the sixth.

Finally in the bottom of the sixth, Lawrence’s bats awakened.

“Something sparked up in the dugout and got our bats going,” said LHS senior Ryan Engel, who was 2-for-3 with two singles and two RBIs. “Finally we went up there and just hit the ball, but by then it was too late.”

The Lions again went down in the seventh without much resistance, prompting Petry to say his team needs to find energy.

“When you look at us as a team, we don’t look like we’re having any fun,” Petry said. “There’s no enthusiasm on our bench. We show up here more like its a job than it’s a game.

“And we can’t have that. We have to be excited about each and every opportunity we have, because in the state of Kansas you only have 20 games in the regular season. You have to take advantage of all of them, and right now we’re not.”