The Lawrence High baseball coaching staff was at a loss for words after another frustrating loss Saturday in the River City Baseball Festival.

“We didn’t know what to say,” said LHS coach Brad Stoll, who added “bewildered” was the best word to describe the mind-set.

Lawrence High's Matt Falk hurls a pitch against Blue Springs (Mo.) during the River City Baseball Festival. The Lions lost, 10-9, Saturday at Ice Field.

But a player called one of the quietest on the team — Brian Heere — spoke his mind after LHS gave up a three-run lead going in to the top of the seventh in a 10-9 defeat against Blue Springs at Ice Field.

“Our offense was there the whole game,” said Heere. “I think we really just couldn’t play defense to back up our pitcher up. … Our intensity and energy was there. Our defense kept booting around balls.”

Lawrence (5-9) suffered from the same malady Saturday that ruined its two previous games in the tournament: errors. LHS had five errors Thursday and six Friday. The Lions, who posted nine runs off 11 hits, committed five errors Saturday.

“It’s more of a mental aspect,” Stoll said of his team’s patchy defensive play. “It starts to snowball, and when that happens you got to have a guy that can stop it, and we can’t seem to find the right guy to do that.”

That guy might be Heere, who went 2-for-3 with a double and a grand slam with five RBIs and two runs before addressing his team after the game.

“He doesn’t say anything,” Stoll said of the center fielder. “The first couple of months of school, I didn’t know he could speak. He showed some leadership at the end of the game, and that was good to see.”

Lawrence High's Brian Heere legs out a hit against Blue Springs, Mo. The Lions fell, 10-9, Saturday at Ice Field.

The Lions took a 9-6 edge into the seventh inning when LHS pitcher David Freeman relieved Will Falk. With two outs and the bases loaded, Wildcats designated hitter Tyler Hines rocketed a ball just over the outstretched arms of a springing Albers, clearing the bases. Blue Springs tacked on one more run off a hit-by-pitch and sloppy fielding by the Lions that allowed Ryan Melanson to score.

“You got to give them credit,” Stoll said. “We had them on the ropes and couldn’t get it done. You can’t take it away from them.”

Heere’s home run, the second grand slam as a Lion and his first this season, gave LHS a comfortable 4-1 edge heading into the third inning. But no lead was comfortable against the Wildcats (10-5).

LHS will play host Tuesday to Olathe South.