Olathe South swept the defending state champion Lions, 4-2 and 8-6. The resilient Falcons rallied in the late innings of both games while temperatures dipped in the 30s.
"There's a lot of references about defending state champions, but you get right down to it and there are seven of the 16 kids suited up tonight who were on that team," said second-year LHS baseball coach David Petry, whose squad lost just two games all last season and entered this spring with a 10-game winning streak. "Nine guys had no varsity experience and we pitched four guys tonight that had never thrown in a varsity game.
In the first game, Olathe South trailed 2-0 before junior shortstop Toby Letak smacked a three-run homer to left with one out in the top of the sixth to give the Falcons a 3-2 advantage.
LHS junior pitcher Troy Wingert had coasted until that decisive inning. He allowed three singles and struck out four Falcons through five innings.
"I probably left him in an inning too long," Petry said. "That home run he gave up, that was my fault. I called that pitch."
Wingert, expecting to go no more than three innings, finished with six strikeouts and allowed just one walk in six innings.
In the second game, the Lions, ranked third in Class 6A, took a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by designated hitter Dallas Worley and RBI single by Chris Johnson. The Falcons countered with four runs on two hits, three walks (one with the bases loaded), a throwing error and wild pitch in the top of the seventh. The error by LHS third baseman Brandon Bingham allowed two runs to score.
"A lot of our defense has to do with not being outside much," Petry said. "We've had about five days outside. We'll get better."
All four of the LHS pitchers used in the twinbill didn't throw on varsity last year. The Lions were outhit 16-11.
"I thought we did a good job for throwing that many inexperienced kids," Petry said. "We have a lot of areas we can improve in. For the most part I was pretty happy with our pitching. We didn't hit the ball as well as I thought we would."
LHS senior rightfielder Damon Benitez had three RBIs in the doubleheader. He hit a solo home run in the opener and had a two-run single in the second game to cap a three-run fifth inning. Benitez reached third on the single but was ruled to have missed second base, resulting in the third out of the inning.
"We're really young right now," Benitez said. "A lot of guys who played tonight were a little bit nervous because they've never played at this level. As a whole, I don't think we played as well as we can."
Junior centerfielder Rob Scott went 2-for-3 in the second game for the Lions.
O-South senior J.T. Price was credited with two saves in the doubleheader. Price hit a two-run homer in the nightcap.
"Both teams battled real hard," O-South coach Don Perkins said. "For early in the season, it was a well-played doubleheader."
LHS (0-2) will play Saturday at Free State (0-1). The game is tentatively set for noon.
Olathe South improved to 3-1 with the sweep.
-- Sports writer Steve Rottinghaus can be reached at 832-7152.
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