LAWRENCE HIGH'S TRAViS SANDERS attempts to break up a double play as Shawnee Mission East's Reid Robson throws to first. LHS lost Monday's game, 4-3, at Ice Field.

Before Monday night’s baseball game, the Lawrence High and Shawnee Mission East coaches decided to use wooden bats instead of aluminum.

The Lions, however, could have used a little more lumber, squandering key scoring opportunities during the 4-3 loss at Ice Field.

“We just didn’t put it together when we needed to. We left a lot of guys on base,” LHS senior Nick DeBiasse said. “Combine that with a few errors, and we kind of hurt ourselves.”

LHS trailed by two runs when Chase Muder and Aaron Rea led off the fourth inning with a respective hit-by-pitch and single. Travis Sanders then singled to load the bases, but a Jordan Guntert groundout thwarted the team’s chances.

“That was a hard one to swallow,” LHS coach Brad Stoll said. “We didn’t execute.”

The Lions also failed to capitalize during the final inning. Guntert reached first on a bunt single and moved to second on a throwing error. Taylor Klugman plunked DeBiasse, but the Lancers picked off Guntert at second. John Novotny flied out and pinch hitter Joe Kornbrust grounded out, ending the inning and the game.

Starting pitcher Drew Hulse took the loss and struggled during the first inning. The senior intended to use his fastball to get ahead of batters and then work his changeup and curveball down and away. Hulse, though, said he did not become comfortable until later in the game.

“Early in the first inning, I couldn’t find that arm slot,” Hulse said. “It took me a few pitches to get in the groove.”

During the first, Jay Johnson reached second base on an error, followed by singles by Reid Robson, Daniel Altieri and Alex Stehl. Spencer Shoemaker drove home three runs with a double.

Hulse, though, settled down, combining with Preston Scheibler to shut the Lancers out for the remainder of the game. Stoll praised Hulse’s resiliency after the rocky beginning.

“He’s one of those guys that finds a way to find his stuff,” Stoll said. “That’s a testament to that kid because he has a lot of guts.”

The Lions’ major scoring rally also occurred during the first inning. Daniel Parker led off with a walk and scored on an error. DeBiasse’s double plated Guntert.

The LHS offense used the wooden bats because both teams planned to do so during a game at East’s small field last year, but rain postponed the contest.

“Kids like it,” Stoll said. “It’s fun, and it’s not an advantage or a disadvantage for either team.”

The equipment change was not the only oddity of the sloppily played game. The teams each committed four errors, and SM East pitchers plunked five Lions, including DeBiasse twice.

“That’s part of our game plan,” DeBiasse said. “Base-runners are vital. We don’t want to take a base-runner off the bases by stepping out of the way of a pitch.”

The loss dropped LHS to 8-5, potentially robbing the team of one postseason objective but leaving a more important one still in its grasp.

“Our goal was to host a regional. That’s going to be pretty tough now,” Stoll said. “Our whole goal is third week in May to be an opponent that no one wants to draw.”